"The average dog is a nicer person than the average person." - Andy Rooney

Good morning and welcome. Today is Tuesday, February 4, 2025. Last year we had to say farewell to our beloved pup, Sir Bentley Barksalot, Esq. We purchased him at 8 weeks and he was as good a pet as one could ever hope but alas, he developed a liver problem that could not be solved, therefore, we had to say goodbye after 5 years and 2 months. I couldn't believe I could be so devastated by the passing of a pet. You have to be kidding. But, I was, and I still am because Bentley had become a part of our family. My initial response said I would never go down that road again. Meanwhile, I was bombarded with advice about getting another dog soon. A few weeks after losing Bentley I was shown a video of a Shih Tzu mama dog with 5 puppies. The puppies were for sale. Supposedly, they were Shih Tzu Terrier mix. Our son, Jimmy and I drove into Houston to see the pups. The puppies were 5 weeks old but their mama couldn't nurse so they were being raised on goat's milk.  I held each of the pups and for some reason I picked the one we paid for, Lil Miss Biscuit. At five weeks she still had to be fed special milk and she is now the family pet. She is not Sir Bentley. The wife had Bentley trained in less than a month. Lil Miss Biscuit, well, she is a very slow learner so to speak, and at 10 months is still not trained. But, she makes up for any shortcomings in her exaggerated, over the top, love and affection for us all. She loves to love and she loves to be loved. As she developed I began to doubt their designation of her Terrier mix. She didn't seem to meet the profile. Because I wanted to know, I sent off her DNA to be tested. Well, get a load of this: She is a Shih Tzu Chihuahua. Oh well, the older lady who sold her was needing the money for foot surgery, and, in the meantime, Biscuit, regardless of her pedigree, had become dear to us all. We are still working on the training regimen mostly overseen by the lady of the house. She can operate in the drill sergeant mode while I'm mostly too sentimental to adequately discipline Biscuit. I'm kind of glad my grandfather, Paw Paw Mac, isn't around to see how mushy I have become. Think about it. He would have never, ever, under any conditions allowed a dog in the house. Now we have one in the house 24x7. Now it's regular vet visits, grooming appointments, and expensive monthly medications to keep Biscuit healthy. Oh well, the times, they are changing folks. They really are. 

I hope today finds each one doing well. We know of so many who desperately need intervention from on high, that is, from our Father through His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, working in and through God the Holy Spirit. The verses on the graphic illustrate this: 1st Peter 5: "6) So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. 7) Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you." (from the New Living translation.) Let us encourage one another with our caring and our praying. Okay. I am going to stop for today. Do I have more to say? My grandfather used to wonder out loud when I would be coming up for air because I talked too much. However, in my mind I hear the wife telling me to shorten it up. By the way, if you think I use too many run-on sentences, check out some of the Apostle Paul's writings. Just so you know. Have a great day and may God be honored in how we go about our daily living. Amen.