Walk with Me

I have started running. I am doing a walk/run program to prepare to run a 5K by the end of the summer. Bison isn't able to go with me due to an injury, so Grizzly is my running partner. The last few times I have gotten ready to go for the walk/run, Grizzly has tried to run and hide. At first I was very concerned that he might be injured, but after talking to my dog club friends, I think he is bored. Bison isn't a big fan of walking either. He would much rather play ball. The other club members indicated that going for a walk was also not the favored activity of their dogs. A couple nights ago, I got the leash out and let Bison in the house then stepped out on the deck. Grizzly ran to the other end of the yard and lay down. Whenever he wants something, he lays down, so this obviously indicated "I want to stay out here." I didn't call him because I knew he wouldn't come, but I tried everything to coax him to come with me. I tried talking to him, treats, and even going out the gate and leaving it open. It was clear that he didn't want to walk with me. My feelings were hurt. I finally had to grab him, put on his pinch collar and drag him to the sidewalk. Once we started walking, he was fine. He seemed to enjoy himself sniffing and trotting along.

Later, I thought about how sad I was that my dog didn't want to walk with me and wondered if God feels like that too. So many times we choose not to walk with God, we think that other life choices will be more fun. God coaxes us back through preaching, blessings, and even letting us fail. How hurt he must feel when we still don't want to walk with him.

Tracking is the first phase in Schutzhund. It simulates tracking down a bad guy who has escaped. The dog must follow a track in various terrain and weather. They must navigate turns/corners in the track and find dropped “articles” (See definitions for more information) left by the track layer. The length and complexity vary based on the level. For example, a level one track is 300 paces and an advanced title is 1900 paces. This is a stylized tracking. It is desirable to have the dog’s nose deep in the vegetation sniffing each step. When they find an article they must go to a down position with the article between their paws. (At least this is the style most trainers choose) To get this result, handlers place a small piece of food in the toe of each foot print. The dog then follows the food scent and stops to eat the food. The handler often puts a handful of food, jackpots, on top of the article to use this as a rest and reward for the dog. This creates the habit of nose to the ground and downing at the articles. Through time, the handler reduces the amount of food until the dog tracks without any on the track in competition. I used to really hate tracking. It isn’t Bison’s favorite. Every stage and every new thing to teach was a struggle. He just doesn’t seem to like it. Grizzly, on the other hand, is a natural. His extremely high food drive makes him really enjoy finding a whole trail of little treats. He is good at it, and he makes tracking fun for me! I started him at 8 weeks on a 5 pace track with an article at the end and gradually worked up adding in corners and articles in the middle of the track. No matter what I throw at Grizzly, he meets it with enthusiasm. In fact, the harder the track, the better he does. One Saturday, I decided to throw caution to the wind and really see what he could do. The most I lay for Bison is about 150 paces, maybe 200. For Grizzly, I laid a 300 pace track with 4 corners and about 6 articles. It went through short and tall grass and a clover patch. Once the track is laid, then the handler lets it age giving time for the scent in the air to settle. Then the dog follows the track laid for them without leading from the hander. They have to navigate by using their nose. Each track is laid with a lesson in mind such as navigating corners, finding articles, stamina, or just putting it all together. The handler holds the leash and follows behind the dog and usually another club member will walk along to offer advice or comment on what they see. Our club president was walking with Grizzly as he tracked that day. I told her how complex the track was and said, “I know he is only 6 months old, but I figure I will never know what he is capable of if I don’t try.” Grizzly did great! The scent pattern as we entered the tall grass/weeds threw him off a bit, but with some gentle guidance, he was back on the track quickly. He found all the articles and was able to focus more after each. I was so proud! I had to brag a bit on him to the other club members. The same day, Bison blew his 70 pace track and I had to take him back to the car without giving him his reward at the end of the track. This experience came to mind a week later. Something I read caused me to reflect on a concept that I had learned years before. A friend who was also going through infertility struggles said that she looked at the situation as a compliment from God. “He doesn’t give trials to people who can’t handle them. He allows trials and temptations in a person’s life because He knows they can handle it with His help.” This concept comes from 1 Corinthians 10:13 “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” We see this applied in the story of Job. God has confidence in Job that he will withstand the trial that He allows Satan to throw at him. He says to Satan, “Have you considered my servant, Job?” I am sure there were other people who were followers of God on the earth at that time, yet God selected Job for the privilege of representing Him. We see at the end of the story how proud God was of Job. Job had no idea that all this was going on behind the scenes, just like we often have no idea the reason for the struggles that we face. Sometimes they are the result of our own sin, but sometimes it is just God laying a really difficult track to see what we are made of. As I saw the potential in Grizzly, He sees something in our obedience and faith in Him that makes Him believe that we are ready to be tested. He leaves little jackpots along the way in the form of encouragement from friends and treasures from His Word. Like the articles on Grizzly’s track, these are places to rest and focus on what the Master wants us to do. There may be places along the way that we might need some extra guidance to stay on track. Ultimately my desire is to keep focus, learn the lesson, and finish the track and make my Heavenly Handler proud of me, rather than heading back to the car in shame, missing my reward.

Active Waiting

One challenge of having two food driven dogs is feeding time. Because Moose already had food guarding issues, we fed him and Bison in separate rooms. I decided when we got Grizzly that I didn’t want to worry about seporate rooms or food fights and attempted to make it “normal” to eat next to each other. From the first day, they were fed at the same time with their bowls about 3 feet apart. I, so far, have seen success with this. I believe it is because I have a strict routine with rules that MUST be followed. Rule #1- You must sit politely and wait while the food is being dished out, no pushing, lunging, or grabbing. Rule #2- You may not eat until you are given the “free” command. Because Bison is more advanced, he has the additional requirement that he has to look me in the eye to wait for his release command with no whining. Rule #3- No approaching the other’s dish before or during feeding. The ability to abide by these rules did not come naturally; it took weeks and months of training. To start a puppy with these rules, I dished out his food out of his reach, then hold him by placing my hand on his chest. I set the food down then say “free” as I let go of him. After he learned to “sit”, I gave him the “sit” command and hold him in place until I say “free”. As they advance, I no longer need to hold them in place. Then I can add in additional requirement, like “no whining” or “look at your handler”, by not giving the “free” command until they are quiet and looking me in the face. The result of this training is that after their morning potty, they run in the house to their respective bowls. They both sit with barely contained energy often drooling profusely, but they don’t move until they hear the word “free”. It is the epitome of anticipation. This activity is exactly what I thought of with a lesson that God recently taught me. Still grieving the loss of my husband, I find myself wondering if I will ever feel happy again. Each morning, I muster up the strength and courage to face a new day with new challenges without him. One particularly tough morning, I opened my Bible for comfort, choosing the Psalms where I left off in my typical evening reading. I read a couple chapters before coming across what felt like a big hug from God. Psalm 27:13-14, “I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.” What this passage means to me is that I can’t give up believing that I will again see the goodness of God “in the land of the living”. Other widows tell me that the first year feels like a deep cloud of despair, but it does eventually lift and you go on. Their words and this passage give me hope. I don’t have to wait until I arrive in heaven to be reunited with Lester before I am happy again. Even though, at times, it seems impossible, if I am courageous (Means resolute) and wait, God’s healing and strength will come. What a wonderful promise. The word “wait” in this passage isn’t a passive word. It is active. The Bible concordance defines it as “look for, hope, expect look eagerly for”. It is like the dogs, full attention and quivering anticipation waiting for their food. I choose to follow their example, to have the courage to eagerly expect the strength of the Lord and to strive toward the advanced lesson of doing this with “No whining” and “Eyes on the Master”.

Tribute

Author's Note: This isn't a dog posting, but I wanted to post this somewhere. This is the eulogy that I wrote for Lester. It was read at his funeral.

During this last hospital stay, one of Lester's doctors came in to check on him while he was still sedated from surgery. We talked about his condition and about his disease, diabetes. He told me how he once saw a pamphlet title, “Living the Good Life with Diabetes” and how it made him angry because he saw what diabetes does to people and gestured to Lester. I told him that as difficult as things are sometimes, we have a very good life and believe that everything happens for a reason. He said, “I know, I just don’t know what the reason is.” I thought about what he said for a long time after he left. It occurred to me that Lester’s life was not measured by the fact that he couldn’t see out of one eye, or couldn’t walk, or needed dialysis to keep him alive, or was losing his fingers and maybe his hand. His life was measured in the many people who loved him and the lives that he touched. He would be the first one to tell you that he had a good life and he was thankful for it. It is evidenced by those of you who are here today and I would like to thank you all for coming. Lester would be so pleased with the overwhelming support shown to me and our families since his passing. He was a very devoted husband and a good man. There were so many wonderful things about him and so many good memories, and I would like to share just a few of those with you today.

Lester and I met in college, and within a few short weeks of knowing each other, we became good friends. Lester was a very intelligent man, his IQ well into the genius range, yet he was never condescending. He was a very humble man. He never cut down other people; he never gossiped. He loved God. No matter what the situation, he could always make me laugh. These reasons and so many more are why he quickly became my best friend. When people at college saw that we were spending so much time together, they began to ask if we were dating. Our answer was “No, just friends”. Our dorm mates became so irritated with this answer that we continued to say that well after we were engaged to be married! It started as a joke, but this was how our lives were together, more than anything we were best friends and I will miss him dearly.

When we got married, it was very important to us that we worked together as a team and planned to be in Christian ministry. We prayed for several months about what God wanted us to do together for Him. We felt strongly that God was leading us to minister to children. We both attended a college class where we learned how to do gospel magic, ventriloquism, and other gospel artistry. We attended many conferences and Lester, already a master of object lessons, learned as much as he could about using illusions to tell children about God. Our mentors, the Clothiers, took us under their wing and taught us many things. When there was a VBS meeting that they couldn’t take, they referred us and we had our first meeting! We planned and planned and planned. There are no words to describe the joy that we felt that first night when we looked into those dear children’s faces. We knew from that time on that this was EXACTLY what the Lord made us to do together. To Lester, there was nothing more important in life, than the ministry to children. He poured in his time, his money, his vacations, and even sometimes his health. I saw him crying in pain before a service, yet still run up on the platform and give every bit of his energy to the children. Then he’d go home in tears because the pain was so bad. The next night he went back and did it again. He led the Jr. Church ministry for several years, taught seminars for children’s workers, and led somewhere around 30 or more Vacation Bible Schools. His only discontentment with his declining health was that he could no longer hold VBS meetins. The day before he died, he was still talking about ideas of things that he could still do for ministry.

Lester also loved animals, particularly our dogs. They were a comfort to him and made him laugh. He loved to have people over to play games. He enjoyed researching any and everything, playing computer games, reading, hunting, gun collecting and shooting, electronic gadgets, and even cooking. He loved to give to other people. If he knew someone needed something, he would find a way to give it to them if he could. He was very generous. There were several times I saw him empty his wallet to give it to someone else.

He always made people laugh. He used his humor to make it through the tough times. He joked about being a pirate when he lost sight in his eye and had to wear a patch. He joked about pedicure discounts when he lost his toes. He joked about saving money on shoes when he lost his feet. When facing losing his hand, he joked about not needing to clean his fingernails anymore. He had his down days like anyone, but he was the bravest person I have ever known. With all he went through, he still had a smile on his face. In fact, my last glimpse of him still awake was of him laughing and making all the nurses who where wheeling him in to surgery laugh. I like to imagine him up in heaven right now, making all the angels laugh.
Lester was a private person and he didn’t always know how to express himself to people. He didn’t like to talk on the phone. As I write this, I think of who may be present and I want to tell you how much you all meant to him.

To our church- So many of you have been like family to us when ours could not be here. Lester so many times talked about how much he appreciated all your prayers, cards, visits, and love. Thank you for the Lester Drennen day. I am so happy that HE got to hear how much you all loved him and appreciated him. Thank you so much for being there for us!

To our work friends- For those who worked with Lester, he talked about how much he enjoyed working with all of you and continued to think of you after he left work. To my HR friends, Lester and I are both so thankful for your flexibility with my schedule and the support that you gave me to allow me to be with him through everything. You will never know how much this meant to both of us.

To the health care workers- We often thank God for all of you who helped us last several years. Lester just mentioned a few weeks ago how blessed he has been with good doctors and nurses and other staff. All of you gave him the best quality of life he could have, you kept him comfortable, you gave him hope, you cheered him when he was down, and you kept him with us longer than we thought possible. I will be forever grateful to each one of you.

To our friends- There are so many of you who have been a support to us with a kind word, a laugh, or a hug. Thank you especially those who jumped in to care for the dogs, weed my garden, rake our leaves, shop for groceries, do car or repairs, run errands and so much more. Lester was so thankful for your support of me so I could be with him.

To those from churches who have allowed us to take part in your ministry to children- Thank you! This was truly Lester’s passion. He never took lightly the responsibility of teaching your precious children and it was his deepest burden that he was not physically able to hold any meetings these last two years.
To all those who knew him as “Mr. Lester”- He loved each and every one of you kids. Each time he heard that one of you was praying for him, he would get tears in his eyes because that meant so much to him. Thank you for all your prayers.

And to our families- I do not have words to say how much your support over the years has meant to both of us. For dropping everything and rushing to get here when things were bad, for making arrangement for him to keep his mobility, for your prayers, your phone calls, your texts, and for your love. Lester often talked about you all from planning how to pick on the nieces and nephews to planning to see the brothers and sisters again. He missed you and loved you all.

Lester and I always knew that our time together would be short. When his kidney’s failed, we knew that we only had about 3 – 5 more years to live if he did not get a transplant. We talked about his health and our future and we determined that no matter what, we wanted to live our lives to be a testimony to God. We wanted to live in a way that would point others to Him, so they would want to know Him too. We never wanted to do or say anything that would cause anyone to think badly of our God. We wanted to be an encouragement to others, to always appreciate those who cared for him, and to treasure every day we had together. I don’t know that we were always successful, but this is what we tried to do.

Some of you here are Christians and I want to say to you that God has a plan for your life and He will give you the strength to live that life. Some of you here are not religious; you don’t have a relationship with God. You know that Lester was not the kind of person to shove his faith down your throat, but it was very important to him. He dedicated the last 20 years of his life to teaching children about how much God loves them and how they could know for sure that they would go to heaven when they die. I know that he would wish that every one of you here would just consider where you stand with God. Do you know him? Have you accepted Jesus as your Savior? He would not pressure you, but I am sure it would have meant the world to him if you would just think about it. Lester often said to the children that we taught together, “If you don’t listen to anything else, know this one thing, God loves you!”

In closing, some have mentioned to us in the last few years that you admired our love for each other, our strength, our joy. I want to tell you all. If you saw love, it was from God. If you saw peace, it was from God. If you saw joy and happiness; it was from God. If you saw strength, it was from God. Give Him all the thanks and all the praise.

The Grizzly New Comer

Big news! In the very busy month of May we had a new addition to our family, Grizzly vom Buchonia, a little eight-week ball of fur.

Grizzly at 6 weeks

Grizzly is a very good puppy. He is very serious, aloof, and thoughtful. He gets into his share of puppy mischief, but can also just chill and relax chewing on a bone. This is quite the contrast to the mile a minute baby Bison and fun to have a different personality to train. As trying as it can be sometimes, it is still fun going through the process of teaching house manners and routine. It is so exciting and rewarding when he "gets it" for the first time.

Lester would completely disagree! He has decided that he hates puppies. Well, not the puppy himself, but the puppy stage. He wants the puppy to arrive already knowing everything and contributing as a well functioning member of the household. I think this is partially due to the fact that I do all the training. From his standpoint, the dogs just magically know what to do. (I am not being critical, typing this with a smile on my face. This is his own admission and I find it adorable) I had to laugh a little bit the first day when he was looking at Grizzly very seriously and telling him "SIT!". Grizzly cocked his head and promptly jumped up and tried to bite him! I am constantly reminding Lester, "He is a puppy! He doesn't know that yet." A few days ago I overheard Lester talking to Bison. He was saying, "You are such a good boy! I didn't realize what a good dog you are until that Grizzly came here. You are MY buddy aren't you?"

Reflecting this evening, I came to the conclusion that this funny household dynamic sadly happens in church all the time. When a person is new to church and/or newly saved, we expect them to immediately be a fully functioning member of the congregation. We forget that they don't automatically know how to "sit". Sometimes they don't use the right "churchy" vocabulary. Some don't act or dress like we think they should. Some might speak out of turn, or horror of horror sit in some-one's favorite pew. Because so many do not participate at all in the training or growth of a new Christian, we think that they should just magically know what to do. We may even piously approach them and command them to do right, and are shocked when we are given a "biting" response. We don't give new comers the time or help to learn and grow, instead, we find ourselves frustrated or embarrassed by them. We then circle around the old timers who already know the way, our buddies, and hope these new people will get with the program.

I "get" the puppy training thing. This is my fifth time through it, but I know I could do so much better supporting new Christians and new Church members. How about you?

Face Seeking

Author’s Note: The long gap in posting is due to Lester’s extended stay in a rehab facility and then back to the hospital to have his left leg amputated below the new. Now back home and getting back to life.

One of the earliest things to train a dog is to look at your face. It is desirable for attention and for earning points in competition. In SchH style heeling, handlers train their dogs to look at their face all while they are walking. One teaches this behavior by reward and repetition. I have done this a couple ways with my different dogs, but my favorite is using a clicker. (See “Definitions” for more information on clickers) Clicker and treats in hand, wait until the dog makes eye contact then click and give a treat. Repeat several times until the dog purposefully makes contact then start adding in a command each time the dog makes eye contact. After multiple repetitions, the dog will recognize the command and make eye contact on command.

This is a particularly easy command to teach a German Shepherd because focus is natural to them. From the time he was a tiny puppy, Bison has stared at us. He looks intently at our faces like he is just waiting for us to give him a command. There are times when he sits next to me and stares so intently that I feel uncomfortable.

It is this behavior that came to mind when reading Psalm 105:3 -4, “Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD. Seek the LORD, and his strength: seek his face evermore.” I read this verse one evening when I was feeling very tired and down. Lester was in the rehab center. I was home alone and wondering how I could face getting up in the morning. I was so tired. Reading this passage was so refreshing, understanding that we can have joy and strength by seeking the Lord. The phrase “seek his face evermore” was so real to me. I looked up from my Bible and saw Bison staring at me. It hit me that “seeking his face” is an attitude, not an action. German Shepherds, like Bison, stare because they are biddable animals. They are looking for any opportunity to please their master. They follow them they listen; they look to their face for any sign of communication. This is exactly the attitude that we should have for our Master, the Lord Jesus. Looking for any opportunity to please Him, “seeking his face”

Be Still to be Free

One of the cool things about training with a breeder is that the club members get to help “socialize” the puppies each time a new litter comes along. This helps the development of the puppies to be exposed to a variety of different types of people and to be touched and held. Last week, I picked one of the 7 week old puppies we were playing with and she started to squirm violently and scream a little puppy scream. I learned the hard way with Bison that you can not let go of them when they act that way. If you do, they learn that screaming and squirming gets them what they want. Instead, you need to calmly hold them until they are still and quiet, then let them go. She squirmed and kicked and threw such a loud fit that the whole club turned to look at us. This went on for about 30 seconds before she finally held still for a second and I let her go. She ran immediately to my breeder friend to tell her what a mean lady I am.

It seems backward that freedom comes from stillness. Maybe that is why it is such a hard concept for us to grasp in our Christian life. As I write these words, I sit in the hospital with Lester. The doctor told him this morning that his health is declining. His right foot is not healing and if he doesn’t have it removed, he may not be healthy enough in 6 months to have it taken off. We were prepared for the eventuality of the foot and lower leg being removed. But hearing his health assessed in such plain terms was hard for me to hear. I can not imagine life without him and this stark reminder is tough.

I was feeling a little overwhelmed at the possibility of this being our last Christmas together and wondering how I am going to help him get around while he gets used to walking with a prosthetic. I logged in to my laptop to check e-mail and read the daily devotional e-mail that I have sent. Boy what timing! The scripture passage was a phrase from Isaiah 30:15, “in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength.” The definition of quietness is “Free of turmoil and agitation; untroubled.” and confidence means “Trust or faith in a person or thing; the state or quality of being certain.” I really needed that reminder today. God knows the plans that he has for Lester. He has a plan for how many Christmases are to come and what the path between looks like. By trusting that my loving God knows best and resting from “turmoil and agitation”, I will have the strength to face the days ahead. I think of how He has always been there for me and how I always seem to have the strength that I need for each day. He isn’t going to fail me now. So again today I choose to trust Him even though I want to kick and scream. Just like the little puppy fretting and whining and wiggling, I finally find peace when I just sit still.

Show off

Photo by Dan Oas
For the obedience portion of the SchH title, the dog must perform a dumbbell retrieve. Difficulty builds at each level until the SchH3 level where the dog must retrieve the dumbbell from 30ft on flat ground, over a meter high jump, and over a 1.8 meter climbing wall. Since these activities account for 40% of the obedience score at this level, it is important to train it correctly.

At training this week, a fellow club member asked for help with teaching the dumbbell. I started training this a while back, but didn't have a lot of success and just put it up for a while. I thought this would be a good opportunity to try again, so I asked to be included in the lesson.

When it was Bison's turn to give it a try, he eagerly grabbed the dumbbell(DB)in his mouth and held it tight. This was very good because a loose grip can lose points. We followed the training process suggested by the fellow club member. Bison held the DB tight in his mouth. I used the leash to encourage him to trot in a circle a few times then backed up and called him in to front position to mimic how he would return with the DB after a retrieve. After he landed in the correct position for a few moments, then I would free him to trot in a circle again. The point of the exercise is to get Bison used to holding the DB and to see it as a fun game to carry it around. It also gives him practice getting into the right delivery position and shows him that when he carries the DB around it makes me happy. We had a great training session. Bison loved prancing around showing off the DB and even continued holding it while we practiced his "down", as you can see in the photo above.

For some reason, this reminded me of the Jr. Church kids signing "This Little Light of Mine". They hold their finger lights up high and twirl them around with the same gusto that Bison has as he prances with the DB. Both finger light twirling and DB prancing are such good examples of how we should be proud of representing Christ in our everyday life. The Bible says in Matthew 5:16, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." What a wonderful thing to show the joy, peace, strength, wisdom, faith...that He gives us everyday and to show it with gusto! The point is kind of the same as the training activity to get practice with our faith, to show that the Christian life is fun, and to make our Heavenly Handler happy! I doing so, we give other people a reason to become a Christian too or just the opportunity to glorify God with us. So, be like Bison with his DB hold on tight, and show it off!

CGC

Last month, we had the opportunity for Bison to try the Canine Good Citizen (CGC) Test offered by the American Kennel Club (AKC). This is a title that can be earned to show that your dog has basic manners and obedience. I have heard that some insurance companies even offer a discount on your home owners insurance if your dog passes the test. You are required to perform 10 basic tests with your dog such as greeting a person while your dog sits, having the dog brushed by the evaluator, walking loosely on leash... (See the AKC website for a complete list of the 10 tests).

The evaluator that we used is an obedience instructor. He suggested that we stop by as his class was ending to do our test. When we arrived at the building, Bison was very excited. He loves going to class and even though we had not been to this facility, our routine of getting out of the car with the leash and going potty clued him in that we were in for some fun. I believe that I have mentioned before that Bison has a difficult time calming when he gets excited. I was starting to panic, if he was overloaded when we started the test, he would fail. I remembered my club training director saying that she uses obedience commands to get her young dogs to stay focused. I told Bison to lay down while I filled out the paper work. He had to be reminded several times not to get up and he was buzzing with excitement. Finally, he settled down just as it was time for us to go into the classroom, but as soon as he entered and saw the other dogs in a doggy class setting, he started building up drive again. I asked the evaluator if we could warm up. I thought if I could get him distracted with the treats that I had with me, he might think I still had some in my hands when we started the test (no food is allowed during the test). It worked. Bison settled into following the obedience commands and was able to calm down. When we did the test, he completed all 10 with only a couple small hiccups. He passed and was awarded his Canine Good Citizenship. By focusing on obedience, even when he was buzzing with energy, he was able to pass the test.

This experience aligned well with a thought that I had last week. A friend mentioned the quote that people often say when they are going through a tough time. “God will never give you more than you can handle.” I couldn't remember for sure if it was actually in the Bible; religious saying sometimes are not. I looked it up and found that it is based on 1 Corinthians 10:13 which says, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” I was struck by the last phrase, “but will with the temptation make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” I thought about the strength that God has given me through the last few months as Lester has been in the hospital for the amputation of his small toe on the left foot and another surgery to remove the remaining toes and part of the foot. It is more of a blessing to me that God gives me a way to escape the temptation of anger and bitterness than that quote that is often made, “He won’t give us more than we can handle”. He provides a way. I don’t have to figure things out, I just need to trust him.

Taking the thought one step further, the “way to escape” is often through obedience. I am able to defeat the temptation to get angry and fearful when I spend time in prayer and Bible reading, essentially obeying God’s commands. When I fail is when I try to do things on my own. I neglect to reflect on God’s goodness. I don’t pray. I lose faith.
Like Bison, I get worked up into a state where I can not focus; I can not defeat the temptation. I am overcome with nervous energy and can not focus on my task. I can’t win. But through obedience, I can settle in and listen to the one who loves me and take His “way of escape” to enable me to bare the trials that I face. I can pass the “Christian Good Citizen” test.

Contentment

Lester was back in the hospital earlier this month for 10 days. His small toe on his left foot had a bone infection that was severe. The toe had to be removed. During his recovery, he became very ill and couldn’t keep down any food. It was (and still is) a stressful time. But, our family, church, and friends once again showered us with love and support.

Our friend’s Kate and Jerry came each day to let Bison out and feed him so I could stay at the hospital with Lester. Shane from my dog club drove an hour to take Bison to the park to play with him. On Saturday, Kate and Jerry took Bison to their home to play with their dog, Darla. Kate took photos of them playing together and sent them to my by text. It was so comforting getting those photos and seeing that he was taken care of.

One photo showed Bison playing with a little doggie smile on his face. When I looked at the photo, I was struck with the fact that even though Bison was a little stressed with Lester’s absence and me not giving him the attention that I normally do, he was still content to go with Kate and have fun with Darla.

1 Timothy 6:6-8 says, “But godliness with contentment is great gain.For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.” Bison was a good example of focusing on the good things and being content even in the midst of trouble.

Who’s in Control?

I recently had the opportunity to attend the regional SchH competition for our area. It was a really neat experience to see so many great dog and handler teams. As I watched the dogs perform, I was struck with the idea that most of these dogs were no better than mine as far as their capabilities. Bison could run as fast, jump as high, and obey as well. The main difference is that these dogs had better handlers. People with years and years of experience who had trained them from the time they were 8 weeks old or even earlier. The handlers are the ones who made the dogs as spectacular and as useful as they were. The best dogs on the field were the ones that were the most yielded to their handler. The worst dogs were the ones who tried to do their own thing. One dog was even disqualified for being “disobedient”.

It is the same way with the Christian life. We all have potential, but what makes us useful is our “handler”, God. The more we are yielded to him the better off we are. It is when we try to do our own thing, when we are disobedient, then we lose.

Romans 6:16- “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?”

1 Corinthians 6:20- “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.”

2 Timothy 2:20 – 21 “But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. 21If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.“

Change the Message

I recently received some feedback on my handling and it was difficult to hear. I was told that I was not clearly communicating and was inconsistent. My first reaction was “no I’m not”, but I really respect the person who gave the feedback and decided that even though it was disconcerting, I needed to take it to heart. About the same time, someone else suggested that I video tape my training sessions in order to get a better understanding of what was happening.

My husband taped Bison and I and it was pretty telling to watch. It was exactly as my friend described, my tone was not clear and consistent. From an observer’s viewpoint, it was easy for me to see how this affected Bison negatively. I realized that I was so focused on what was going on with me, how I was holding the leash, how fast I was walking, and what I was going to do next that I didn’t concentrate on the viewpoint that Bison was seeing. What he saw was the leash fidgeting, the poorly executed commands, the unsure posture... all things that send a mixed message to him. I am determined to change the message.

It is easy to draw a parallel to another area in my life that I am also working on. That is the message that I am sending with my life. Being a caregiver for an ill spouse, it is easy to focus on the doctor appointments, the set backs, the grind of trying to put in a honest day at work while wanting to be home, fretting about the housework piling up and the dismay at how tired out I feel. What I realized though is that I still need to concentrate on the viewpoint that the outside world is seeing. In my heart, I want so badly to be a good testimony. I want others to see how good God is even in the midst of a trial. How He gives me strength when I think I can’t go on any more, and how He sends so many blessings through it all. When I focus on self, the Savior can not show through. I am sending a mixed message. Just like watching the video, I have started to really see myself and not liking what I see. I am determined to change the message.

As a first step in changing my focus, my husband, Lester, and I have taken on a challenge. We determined that every morning, afternoon, and evening we will each think of something for which we are thankful. This activity is based on Psalm 92:1 – 2, “It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High: To shew forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night,” and Psalm 55:16 - 17 “As for me, I will call upon God; and the LORD shall save me. Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud : and he shall hear my voice.”

Reader, won’t you join us in this challenge?

Getting the Junk Out

We had an “incident” at agility class recently. About half way through the class, Bison became very distracted. He wasn’t listening to my commands, was pacing, and just generally not acting normal. The instructor and I both thought that it might be the heat. I also thought that maybe he wasn’t feeling well since he refused food that morning.

We always end class with a mini run of the obstacles with which we worked that that class. When it was Bison’s turn, he ran the first half, but when it was time to go over the A-frame, he refused. This was rather puzzling. This is normally his best obstacle because it is also used in Schutzhund. I gave him the command at least three times and tried to run up to the frame with him. He just kept pacing, then all the sudden he stopped and pooped right there on the course. I probably don’t need to explain what a huge “no, no” this is. Done in competition, it will disqualify the dog completely. I was very embarrassed. The piles left by a large GSD (German Shepherd Dog) are serious stuff. It pretty much ended the class.

As I drove home, absolutely mortified, I was reminded of a portion of a recent sermon. The preacher talked about all the junk that we put in our lives and how that can prevents us from serving God. The things that we watch, listen to, and read that are dishonoring to God and His principles cause our hearts to be distracted from the tasks that we need to accomplish for Him. I actually chuckled out loud at the similarity. Just like Bison needing to get the (Ahem) “junk” out of him to be able to focus, we need to get the junk out of our lives too.

James 4:7-9 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

Finding the Right Discipline

I originally learned purely positive dog training. This means that there are never negative consequences for the dog other than withholding reward. Some trainers even shun the idea of a negative verbal response. This strategy works well as you teach new things, but when perfecting a command, a negative consequence is important to help the dog understand where his boundaries are. For many dogs a “NO” command is enough to set a boundary and make it clear. For Bison, when he is in drive, a “NO” is not enough. I struggled with how to communicate a negative consequence to help him understand when he offers behaviors that are unacceptable. Finally a few weeks ago, our club president taught me how to give a correct collar correction using a pinch training collar. I have been using a training collar for years, but didn’t know how to use it properly. It only took a couple of corrections before the boundary was very clear to him and he stopped the undesired behavior. It is amazing what a little correctly administered discipline can do.

I can’t help but compare this to a situation that my friend went through a few years ago with her son. We were talking and she expressed the discipline issues that she was having with him. I said something like, “I don’t have children, but I do know that there is a Biblical plan for discipline.” She tells me now that comment stirred her to find out what the Bible says to do. She got some Godly advice from a pastor who shared with her the correct way to discipline and saw a huge improvement in her son. What she tried for years wasn’t working, but Biblical discipline made the boundaries clear to him.

The following verses refer to discipline.
Proverbs 22:15- Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.
Proverbs 23:13- Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die.
Proverbs 13:24- He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.

True Obedience (Rally Trial- Part 2)

As mentioned in the previous post, we recently entered a Rally Obedience event. In one of the trials, Bison obeyed every command but chewed on his dangling leash through the entire run. It was a way to let off his drive, blow nervous energy. His obedience was only on the outside, it wasn’t in his heart. Though he technically followed the rules, it wasn’t TRUE obedience.

This was the second lesson that I learned from our first Rally experience. Obedience that doesn’t come from the heart is not true obedience. I think of the beginning of Psalm 119 (below) which talks about following God’s law from the heart. Yet, so many times we go through the motions. We go to church, say our prayers, read our token chapters of the Bible, but never let it reach our heart. Like Bison, our efforts to follow the “rules” fall short of TRUE obedience. Instead, as the passage describes, we need to seek him with our whole heart.

Psalm 119:1 – 11“Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD. Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart. They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways. Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently. O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes! Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments. I will praise thee with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned thy righteous judgments. I will keep thy statutes: O forsake me not utterly. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”

Going Through Trials (Rally Trial- Part 1)

Bison and I participated in our first UKC Rally Obedience event recently. Some of my club members were going to compete and invited us along. We haven’t trained specifically for Rally, but the commands are very similar to what we are working on for SchH. After looking through the requirements, I decided to give it a try. It looked fun and I figured that it could only help with some of the distraction problems we have been working on.

I went into the event not even ever seeing a Rally course before. I didn’t think we could qualify (receive a passing score without any disqualifying errors), but we qualified for 2 out of 4 trials we entered. Most importantly, going through the trials helped me see what we really need to work on, both with the ones that we passed and the ones that we didn’t pass. I have a list of things to train on before we go to the next trial.

It is the same with trials that we go through in our lives. Psalm 119:71 says “It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.” When we go through tough times, we learn about ourselves. Even when we fail, we learn what we need to work on and with training in God’s Word, so we can be ready to pass the next trial.

Looking in the Mirror

To work on Bison’s previously mentioned klutziness and jumping problem, we enrolled in an agility class. The class is at a club that we have never trained with before. The first night, Bison was very distracted in general with the new place, new instructor, new dogs... One distraction though became a lesson to me.

The club has a few places where they have placed mirrors on the wall. They are about 18 inches by 4 feet tall. Each time we walked by the mirror, Bison stopped to look at himself in the mirror. The first couple of times he did it, it was cute like he was saying, “Who’s that handsome guy”. But after five or six times, it was annoying. It was to the point that he wasn’t able to do the obstacles because he was so focused on himself.

It hit me that I am like that sometimes too. I focus so much on myself that the obstacles of life trip me up. This concept reminds me of an acrostic for “Joy” that I learned as a child, Jesus first, others second, and yourself last. This is based on Matthew 22:36-40 “ Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” Focus on loving God first of all, then others, then yourself. When in times of trouble it is very easy to reverse that and just like Bison, focus so much on myself that the rest of the world just stops. Its time to put away the mirror.

Falling Down

Author's Note: When I started going through some tough times, I looked around me and saw that other Christians just seemed to go through trials always with a smile on their face and never had a bad day. It wasn't until a dear friend and mentor of mine told me about her experience of loosing her husband did I realize that I had a distorted view of reality. Because of this experience, I feel it is really important to be "real". It is important to me to share my failures as well as successes.

We’ve identified a new training challenge. Bison is a klutz. In protection work, we had Bison on a bungee on a tree and the helper used the sleeve to encourage Bison to jump higher. His lack of coordination showed when he leaped to the end of the bungee, didn’t get his feet under him, and fell on his back. This happened about 4 times. Each time, he just got up, shook it off and tried again.

There are many times in my Christian life that I fall down. This past Sunday is a good example. When I got home from church, I found my husband unconscious at the table. After a quick assessment, I knew that it was a low blood sugar reaction. I wasn’t able to awake him so he couldn’t drink a juice and his glucose “rescue” syringe was expired. I had no choice but to call 911. The paramedics arrived a few moments later. They gave Lester glucose through IV, waited until he could answer some simple questions, and then left.

I have to confess, I didn’t handle the situation well. I was really scared that this happened when I wasn’t home. I just kept thinking, “How could I ever leave him alone again? Would I be in constant fear that I would come home and find him unconscious or worse?” Then I got angry. I thought, “This isn’t fair. After everything else that he has been through in the last year, now this. Why can’t we just be like a normal couple our age? We should be going out for coffee after church, not THIS!” I basically had a rotten attitude about it. The next morning, I had to go back to the office for the first time since the amputation. I woke up filled with anxiety. I knew that I needed to get make this right. I am in the habit of having my prayer time while I shower each morning. I spent that time in prayer confessing my sin. It was pride that made me feel that we deserve something better. I was not thankful for what I have, for the fact that Lester was ok. I thought about Bison falling down and getting back up over and over again, and it reminded me of Proverbs 24:16a, “For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again:” I want to be “just” which means “guided by the truth”. Time to get up, shake it off and try again.

The Search for Perfection

We love having two dogs. Now that Moose is gone, there is a hole in our family. I’ve spent a lot of time researching and talking to several people about a puppy. I have much more experience and knowledge since the last time we selected a puppy, just enough to be dangerous. Also, now that I am participating in SchH training I have many more requirements. During one of the conversations I had with a breeder, she reminded me that “no dog is perfect”. She was right, no matter how much I research and plan, the puppy is going to have some challenge. It might be an aspect of temperament, something physical, or just might be a challenge to train. Being reminded of this helped me relax and make the final decision to be put on the waiting list for the litter I had been obsessing over for weeks. It was reassuring to not have the pressure of finding perfection.

This lesson came in handy last week. My husband, Lester, had an infection in an ulcer that he had on his foot. We had been to the wound clinic the following week and they prescribed some really major antibiotics. They drew a line on his foot where the infection was on the foot, noticeable by the red color, and told me to watch to make sure the infection didn’t spread. I changed his bandages every night, but didn’t see anything to be concerned about until the night before his follow up appointment. He had several water blisters on his toes. One of the toes was a really dark purple color, almost black and there was a bad odor. I knew this wasn’t good, really not good. Due to the kidney failure and the diabetes, his circulation is bad and his feet are high risk.

The next day when the bandages were removed in the office, two toes were very dark and the smell was horrible. After being examined by three different doctors, the recommendation was made that he be admitted to the hospital. They also wanted to do an exploratory surgery the next day to determine the extent of the infection and how much circulation was left. Preliminary examination showed no pulse inside the “infection line” that was drawn on his foot the week before. The doctor explained that it was likely that they would need to remove one or more toes and as much as his leg up to the knee.

I was overwhelmed. Having seen the state of his toes, I knew they would have to come off. I knew that the hospital stay would be several days and the recovery months. The lack of sleep, extra chores, special dog care, and stress ran through my mind in seconds. In addition to the physical demands, I knew that this would be very emotional for Lester. Would I be able to handle seeing him in so much physical and emotional pain? How would I be able to change the dressings and see his foot missing toes? I am running out of vacation time at work and I knew that in addition to the hospital stay there would be weeks and weeks of check ups and therapy. How could I fit it all in? I began to pray for strength and quoted in my mind every verse I knew about strength, begging God to help us get through this. Claiming his promises, I included in one of the text messages I sent from the doctor’s office “His strength is perfect”. Taken from, 2 Corinthians 12:9, “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” I knew that I did not have the strength to get through the days ahead, but HE did!

The next morning as I prepared to go back to the hospital to be with Lester before his surgery, I read an e-mail from my sister, Nancy. The only thing in the e-mail was the verse 1 John 4:16, “And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.” It really caught my attention and I looked up the chapter to read it in context. I stopped at verse 18 when I read, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment...” I have read this verse a million times, but that morning it became so clear to me what it meant. Perfection. His strength is perfect and his love is perfect. I thought of how much I love Lester and how much I want to be there for him, and my love is just human, selfish love. How much more would God, in his perfect love be there for Lester, and for me? With God with us, we have nothing to fear. He doesn’t want us to be in the torment that fear brings. Perfect love leaves no room for questioning, no room for fear. Lester was EXACTLY where he was meant to be that day. I was exactly where I was supposed to be that day and God was with us. He offered his perfect strength where I had none and His perfect love when my faith was small. I felt peace wash over me yet again. Where my search for perfection in a puppy came up short and my search for perfection in myself came up short, my search for perfection in my God did not.

Author’s note:
Lester did go into surgery that day. During the pre-surgery exam, we saw that all four of his small toes were black. The doctor told us that the x-rays showed that the infection was in the bone. His toes had gangrene. They performed the amputation surgery removing about half of his foot. He is out of the hospital and healing nicely. I am overwhelmed at the goodness of God and how smoothly the hospital stay went. His father, sister and brother-in-law came up to visit. It was really nice to not have to go home to an empty house, plus they did a whole list of chores around the house to help me get caught up. Someone anonymously cleaned out my front flower bed, and one of my dog club friends drove over an hour to play with Bison three different times. Countless others visited at the hospital, sent e-mails, text messages, or cards. But most importantly, many people prayed for us.

Lie Down in Green Pastures

We recently started working on article indication in tracking. In SchH, the track layer leaves articles on the track such as leather, wood, or fabric saturated with his/her scent. When the dog follows the track, they indicate these articles by lying down with the article between their front paws and waiting for their handler to retrieve it. Then they have to wait for the handler to give the “search” command before continuing to track. (Note: Other styles of indication are allowed, this is just the type we are training)

The last time our club met, I learned how to start training this behavior by laying an “article track”. I walk 10 – 15 paces then lay down an article with a few pieces of food on it then walk another 10 – 15 paces and repeat until there are 12 – 15 articles on the track. Then when Bison follows the track, he comes upon the article and pauses to eat the food. I tell him to “platz” which is the German command for “down”. Because of his position, stooping to eat the food, the article ends up between his front paws. I then continue to drop 3 – 5 treats on top of the article to make the relationship in his mind that articles are really awesome to find. Then I pick up the article and give him the “search” command to continue on the track.

We went to the park and I laid an article track in a grassy field I then got Bison out of the truck to run the article track. He did fine following my trail to the first article and downed when I told him to, but jumped up immediately eager to continue with the track. I had to tell him to “platz” again until I released him to continue the track. At the next article, he paused only to grab the food and tried to continue rather than down at the article as I commanded. It was easy to see that he was so intent on the trail that he didn’t want to be bothered with the articles. With repetition, he will learn to enjoy the articles, but I thought this was interesting behavior.

Certainly, it is a behavior I could identify with. I, like most Americans, lead a pretty busy life. I work full time, care for my ill husband, attempt to keep up with the house work, teach Jr. Church, do some of the graphic design for my church... About a year ago and a half ago, I had a crisis of sorts when I was diagnosed with a case shingles. I was assigned to a really demanding project at work and really stressed about Lester’s medical routine. The shingles caused me to be really tired. Some mornings, I had to pray for 15 – 20 minutes just to get the strength to get out of bed. It was during this time that I came across the 23rd Psalm in my daily devotions. I memorized this passage when I was a child and was prepared to just breeze through when something caught my eye. In Psalm 23:2, I saw the phrase, ”He MAKETH me to lie down in green pastures...” It hit me, “Wow, God was saying that he MAKES me rest” This is a benefit just like the other things mentioned in the passage, supplying my needs, protecting me, giving me courage... I had been pretty miffed that God allowed me to get shingles when I had so much going on, but this helped me see that it was really a blessing. It forced me to get the rest that I needed to face the stresses and demands of everyday life and take the time to focus on Him to get through the rough times. Like Bison, I was so focused on the track that I was following, I didn’t want to stop to “lie down” and wait, to listen for the Master’s voice.