heartofdakota.com

This is a little bit off topic but I just wanted to share.

My family had a very old dog, whom I loved dearly, and we had to put down this past Monday. While it is was so hard to make that decision, I know it was right. But I am still sad and missing him terribly.

Well, today we were doing school and my son was studying poetry from Unit 3 Day 4 in Bigger and we learned about similes. He found the simile in the poem like the manual stated he should and we then we proceeded to make our own. We started off using the first 3 examples in the manual to make our first set of similes. Because my son was having so much fun with this activity, we made several more on our own. The last one we made was about a dog. We said "A dog is like a movie of God's perfect love." It just brings tears to my eyes now as I type this. As Fred's owner, that dog loved me no matter what. Obviously - I loved him! But if I didn't, I know he would still have loved me. And that is just how God created him/them to be. Dogs that have nice owners love their owners. Dogs that mean owners love their owners. That is sad to say but it just true. And ultimately, it reminds me so much of God's character. God created us to love Him. And whether we love Him or not, he will ALWAYS love us. He will look for us and lavish us with his attention and affection - no matter our reaction. We have never done anything to earn this or deserver it. He just loves us. And God is so amazing and wonderful to give us our own breathing example of this - a dog.

So I just wanted to share a treasured moment we had today in our home. While getting back into the swing of things, it is a bit challenging for me. But I am very glad for the routine and did want to get back at it. And I also feel so blessed that my son and I got to have such a nice touching, God honoring moment with this activity.

I also wanted to say thank you HOD. I feel like whenever we (or I LOL) need encouragement or a word from the Lord, I always get it. I know that the Bible is a living and breathing book and that it is always speaking to us. But I am so glad that the Bible is so intertwined with your curriculum because I always feel like the Lord is speaking straight to us every day. So thank you very much for all you do and for publishing your curriculum that has blessed us and so many others.

That is so true. I am very sorry about the loss of your beloved friend! Every thing you said is so true and something i have been thinking about too, for a few weeks actually. When i think about how genuinely humble Jesus is... the only living thing that can even come close to that pure humbleness is a dog... they are so humble and just want to be loved. It is heartbreaking to see a dog that is dieing for love and receive none... never giving up though and always waiting and loving and hoping.
.
I am happy for your dog that while their lives are short compared to ours, i am sure Fred's was full of love and joy. May our hearts be so full of selfless love and devotion.

I am sorry to hear about the loss of your beloved friend, and making the decision to put him out of his misery which is so hard to make (but so needful). I am glad you found comfort in the activity and that you and your son bonded over that together. Thanks for sharing!

I have oftentimes been encouraged or shared what I myself have learned from the study in the guides and what we are doing. Even the 2nd and 3rd time through the guides I still learn things every day, and love working with my children on the projects.

Thanks to both of your encouraging words. Every day gets better

And I find the best way to really heal is just to give it all to God. Anytime there is something really tough going on in your life - whatever the reason - it is so much better to just praise the Lord through it. I can't change it. Sometimes life hurts (not just this but many things happen in our lives). And really, when you think about it, this life is just so temporary. So I find that when life is getting me down, I am just going to praise the Lord. His ways are best and he knows more than me. I am just thankful for his gifts that we get to enjoy while we are here until we get to see him face to face.

I'm so sorry about your precious dog! That must have been so very difficult, and I am sure you are missing him every day, as he was such a part of your life for so long! Pets are just so reaffirming, full of such devotion, and expecting little in return. I've been so sad about 3 of our cats are missing and have been for too long to be dismissed. We live on a farm, and they are outdoor cats, but my dh built them pretty much a cat mansion (cat doors, heated cushions and water dishes in the winter), 3 levels to jump between, cat cushions, a window and screen window that can be opened and shut, siding, shingles, etc.). They rarely go far from our 3 acres. We still have 4 cats, but it has been really hard on all of us, especially Wyatt as he cares for them. You are right - the unconditional love of pet shows us in part the unconditional love of our Father. It really is amazing. I have prayed for you as you are hurting now. May the Lord comfort you and your family. Your poem writing was a good way to capture your hearts - it was precious.

In Christ,
Julie

Thanks for your kind words Julie. I am so sorry to read about your 3 cats that are missing. I think that would be even harder. I also still have 4 cats and 3 of them at one time or another has ended up missing for about a week. But thankfully they ended up coming home (with the third one, we actually found him after 5 days stuck in a neighbor's garage). I would be devastated if my cats ran off and I couldn't find them. The not knowing part would be the worst (to me). I will pray for you kitties and especially for Wyatt. The loss of a pet does seem to be the hardest on the person who takes the most care of them. At my house, that was me. My dog was a large breed dog so he has been needing minor help for about year or so now. I was basically his nurse. And I took care of him significantly by the end of his life - he couldn't be left home alone much for the last couple months of his life and I was here with him day in and day out. He was on meds and I gave him those. He needed help up the steps when going in and out of the house and I helped with that. I basically turned into his hospice nurse by the end. So my routine was massively changed once he passed and I definitely noticed him being gone the absolute most out everyone. Honestly, I was the only one crying and saddened on the outside. So if your Wyatt is the one taking care of them, he is going to notice the most they aren't there and he will probably be looking for them everyday and for a while still. I do hope they return. And I would say there may still be hope. I was at a friend of mine's house yesterday and she told me that one of her cats escaped and came back a couple of months later. She lives in the country too. So I would definitely say there may be hope. I am praying for you though.

Thanks so much, Nealewill! We are hoping they may still come home, and I'll let Wyatt know you are praying for him. I will pray for you too - often times when we are responsible for caring for someone or something for a lengthy period of time it is a large adjustment not to be doing it anymore. May the Lord help you through this change in your life and provide comfort, joy, and love in new ways. Praying for you!

In Christ,
Julie