Max: An Ordinary name for an Extraordinary Dog

Maybe everyone thinks their dog is extraordinary. (Except my friend, Keri, who keeps trying to give me hers!) A blog I read this morning put me in mind to tell you about our Max.

His name at the time of our meeting was "Bouncer". On the fateful day of our meeting, I had stopped at the pound, as I regularly did, just to have a look at the  adorable little pups. When I walked in the door, I saw a sign that requested that foster families take dogs home for the week so that the kennel floors could be redone.

Our wonderful boxer, Chauncey, had died just the month before, so we were dogless for the first time in 10 years. I figured that it was a good time to help out the cause.

I walked around the entire dog area looking for something that looked "boxer-ish". I saw this adorable big headed black and white dog with tiny ears looking up with these big brown doe eyes. He kind of looked like a boxer, but I wanted to make sure there wasn't some purebred brindle just around the corner, so I sped around the whole place scanning the cages.

Seeing nothing else that peaked my interest, I returned to Bouncer. He was so happy to see me back in front of his cage. He wiggled and wiggled and leaned against the front of the cage, just so I could pet him. This was my dog, I was sure of it. Reading the paperwork, I found out that he was actually part Sharpei (Little ears and wrinkles!) and who knew what else. I loved him.  So I did the paperwork and we were on our way.... only for a week, of course.

When I got home, my husband was in the driveway working on the car. As I got out of our car, with a dog following on a leash, my husband looked up and said something to the effect of "What did you do?!"
I quickly responded with "It's only for a week!"  He just sort of shook his head and went back to work.

Earlier that day,  he and some friends had installed new carpeting in our daughter's bedroom. The minute I released Bouncer from his leash, he went into her room and pooped on the BRAND NEW carpet.  This was the beginning of our "Bouncer woes".
Bouncer was not housebroken. Bouncer ran away every time the door was open. Bouncer barked non stop. Bouncer chewed up everything that was left on the floor.

About a week after Bouncer came into our family, he was taken back to the pound. Our children cried. They loved that  mutt, but it didn't appear that he was the dog for us.

Fast forward two weeks. We had gone on vacation and returned home. A friend of mine had told me that there was a dog at the pound that was absolutely adorable and that I should go see him. and that his name was Bouncer. I told her we had already seen him and experienced him at our home.  Adorable yes, but not for us.

A few mornings later, my husband was getting ready to go to work. As he stepped outside, he  noticed that our shed door was open. He went over to shut it and as he glanced inside, he notice a MAN ASLEEP IN OUR SHED!  (It seems that he was so drunk that he couldn't find his way home, and decided to use a bicycle pedal for a pillow! How drunk do you have to be for that to be comfortable?!)

Anyway it was then and there, that I decided that we had to have a dog. I went back and got Bouncer, who unceremoniously became "Max". ( I would some day like to have an animal with a really unique name, but so far that hasn't happened- Presently we have Max, Bella, Janey, April, June, Nessie, and Mama cat- whose real name I think is Rosie.... but that's another story.)

Unfortunately, Giving the dog a new name did not give him new character. He still chewed, barked, ran away, and made messes in the house.

I will spare you the details of the next few months. Suffice to say that there were many times when the dog almost took a return trip to the pound. but then, God took pity on us and gave us a few "dog miracles".

Our friend, Heidi, who had two large dogs of her own, lent us a huge training kennel so that we could housetrain Max. The idea for the training is that when they are in the kennel, they won't go to the bathroom (cuz it messes up their "space"). Well, Max must not have known about this rule, because he just kept going to the bathroom in the kennel. The only positive aspective was that at least it was easier to clean the bottom of the kennel then it was the carpet! Finally, one day while I was cleaning the cage, I sprayed it with Lysol. From that moment on Max never went in the cage (or in the house!) again.  I keep thinking maybe I can make some money by advertising Lysol as a housetraining trick!

Getting rid of the running away habit was just as miraculous. I was complaining about how often Max ran away, to a friend of ours at church. Unbeknownst to me, this friend worked at one of those Invisible Fence places. (Where your dog wears a collar and if he goes over top of a buried wire, he gets shocked.)  He offered it to us for free if we would allow them to use Max and our family as a promo for their company. We said yes, and got a very expensive electric fence set for free! Now Max could be out in the yard without us and be safe (and we didn't have to spend hours chasing him anymore!)

The last unbearable characteristic of poor Max, was that he chewed up everything! All of the time! and he barked and he didn't listen very well, etc.

My hubby was speaking to an old friend about this dog that we had and how frustrating it all was. come to find out that this friend (and his wife) trained dogs! they offered to take Max for ten days (for free!) and train him for us, with the understanding that on the tenth day we would come and be trained ourselves. We agreed.  The difference in Max with only ten days of training was absolutley amazing!
He was obedient, quiet, and only used his mouth for eating his dog food! (And an occasional offical bark!)

All in all, we probably got about $1000.00 dollars worth of "help" for free that allowed Max to be part of our family. He has been with us for 9 years now and is an absolute gem. There really aren't words to explain what he has become to our family. I would not trade him for the world. Big dogs don't last forever  though, so I know that I probably only have a few more years left to enjoy him.

Unfortunately, we already have Max's replacement. Her name is Bella and in a moment of unclear thinking we accepted her into our family about 21/2 years ago. Bella is a coll- lab- oration (border collie, lab,and dalmation) mix.

Bella runs away every chance she gets. Bella barks and "talks" non stop. Bella  chews up everything that is left on the floor when she is left alone.

Here we  go again.



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Parenting the Parent

This past week was the first time that I was really a parent to my parent.

I had to explain to my dad why he couldn't drive his car "right now" (He is much too weak from being in the hospital. His reaction time is slower than it should be. We want to keep him safe, etc.) I had to keep telling him what his room number is in his new "home" in the Assisted Living wing at Messiah Village. I had to catch him when he wobbled, coerce him out of bed in the morning, make sure he took his meds, and sit with him so he wouldn't be lonely.

I really didn't mind any of that. What I didn't like was that my strong opinionated dad often looked scared, uncertain, and a little distrusting of me. Six months ago, he had been trying to convince all of us that he should go into the assisted living program at Messiah. Now, he feels as if we are sending him there without his consent.

He did get feisty a few times, which I saw as a good sign. The nurse was  trying to schedule him for his "whirl pool time" (hey, I'll go there!) and he adamantly told her that he couldn't do 11:00 on Friday because every Friday at 11:30 he had lunch with his artist friends. How he thought he was going to get there without a car, I have no idea. But at least he had some spirit and was remembering things!

As I was walking him to the dining hall for his first dinner at the facilities, he turned to me and said, "You know, I'm pretty skeptical about this." I responded with "That's okay, your're allowed to be skeptical".

I know without a doubt that this is what he needs right now. And if all goes well and he regains his strength, he'll realize it eventually too. Just like all of those times when as a kid and I didn't understand why he made me do something I didn't want to do, or didn't let me do something I really wanted to do.

Maybe he'll even thank me for it one day.

Now I even sound like the parent....


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Heaven

Okay, about Heaven... Why don't we want to go there?

A church aquaintance of mine went there on Friday. He was one of the only people I've ever met who didn't seem to be afraid of going. He was diagnosed just two months ago with cancer and though he appreciated the prayers that were said for him, you could tell that he was okay to go. It was like he realized that he was finally going to get that reward that had been promised to him so long ago when he asked Jesus to be Lord of his life.

I keep thinking about C.S. Lewis's book "The Great Divorce". In the book, heaven looks a lot like earth, only more solid, more real. The Bible says that our life here is just a dull, shadowy version of what it is like there. It also says there will be no more pain, sorrow, or tears once we cross that "great divide".

Johnny is one of the newest arrivals. My mom is there. Aunts and uncles, grandparents, and friends are all there. Jesus is there, waiting.

So about Heaven.... Why don't we want to go there?

"Priorities"

In a perfect world, My husband would make me laugh more, our family would have more money, my hubby would come home to a clean house, my daughter would have a Mac pro, my son would get to drive a "cool" car instead of an old conversion van, and my youngest would get to meet Gary Levox of Rascal Flatts fame.

I'd be best friends with Dick Van Dyke and I would own a pingpong table. My husband would be training Teen Challenge staff all around the world, my son would have his pilot's license, my daughter would have a boyfriend with great moral values, and my youngest would be best friends with Rascal Flatts.

I would be able to use a star trek transporter to get to Maine, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and North Carolina in a milli-second. I would have the greatest (children's pastor) job in the whole world, Gregg would have a camper, my daughter would have a college scholarship, my son would not have TMJ, and my youngest would tour with Rascal Flatts.

Oh yeah, and all my friends and family would have an eternal relationship with Jesus...



ljbf

Thinking of her... and Him

It's not a holiday. It's not her birthday. It's not even the anniversary of the day she left this earth. There is no particular reason that she should be on the vestiges of my conscience all day long, and yet she is. Not in a "remember when" kind of way, but in a "I can't wait to share this moment with her" kind of way. And then I remember... my mom is with Jesus and has been for eight long earth years.

Can she see what's going on down here? Does she have front row seats to everything that's going on in her children's lives? Does she brag about us? (Is there bragging in heaven? Cuz if there is, she's bragging.)

The people that have heaven figured out would probably say that she is too busy worshiping Jesus to be paying attention to what's going on down here. I sort of have a different picture.

I see Mom and Jesus together, during their "one on one" time, discussing us. They are both excited, talking about their "children" and what is going on in their lives, and Jesus is encouraging her about how ultimately, the struggles they are dealing with right now will bring them closer to God. And of course, Mom believes. It doesn't take much faith to believe things when you're standing right next to Jesus. :)

Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief...

Ljbf

An Imaginary Conversation Between Moses and God (At least I think it was imaginary!)

Moses: God, you have given me the honor of writing down your words, so that they would be saved for all of posterity, and I really appreciate it, really I do...

God: I sense a "but" coming, Moses.

Moses: Well, I've written down everything that you have told me to write verbatim, word for word...

God: That's what verbatim means, Moses... Don't be redundant.

Moses: I've written things that I don't even understand myself... "Don't boil a baby goat in his mother's milk, Don't shave your forehead for the sake of the dead". I've written it all...

God: but?

Moses: I really can't write this down.

God: Why not?

Moses: It's just not right that's all. It just seems a bit hypocritical to me.

God: Now, Moses. Do you really think I would allow you to write something hypocritical in My Book?

Moses: Well, I guess not. It just seems sort of self-serving, you know?

God: You just let me worry about that. This verse will speak to lots of people over the centuries, trust Me. Besides, I have a really great reason for wanting that verse in the Bible.

Moses: You do? What is it, God?

God: It's going to make Linda Fischer smile one day.

Moses: Okay Lord, that's good enough for me. I'll write it ...... "Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth." Numbers 12:3

(Thousands of years later)

Linda: ha ha hahahahah Moses wrote that!

My letter to Hannah

Dearest Hannah,
Every time I read your story in the Bible, I get very emotional. From the second verse, you have me hooked; "And he had two wives; the name of one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children."

I know that your greatest desire was to have children. It didn't help that Peninnah (the other wife) was a real jerk and teased you unmercifully,and it didn't matter that your hubby was totally in love with you and didn't care about you being childless. You wanted, no, more than that, you needed a child. You would do just about anything to have a child. Hence, your promise to God.

So here's my question, Hannah. when God gave you that child, did you struggle with honoring that promise? While you were pregnant with Samuel, did you know that the promise meant giving him up at such an early age? When he was born and you saw those perfect little toes and that fuzzy haired head, did you just for a moment, want to renig on that promise?

And when the time came to leave him with the priest Eli at the temple, did you hesitate? Did seeing how his own sons had turned out make you want to turn around and run for home?
And yet you left him there. You trusted God.

I love the fact that the Bible says that you visited him each year, bringing him a new robe. Did you ever want to just grab him and take him back home again? I can imagine those reunions; tears and smiles and family stories, trying to keep him connected to the family... because there was a family now. God had blessed you with three more sons and two daughters! They were your reward because you trusted God.

And because you did, Samuel grew up to be judge, priest, and prophet for a whole generation and beyond. He was an amazing man, Hannah. I'm sure you were proud, but in my mind, you are an even more amazing woman. Thank you for sacrificing the "growing up" years of your son, so that the world could learn, even thousands of years later, what it means to serve God.

Linda