Mercy passed the Canine Good Citizen test. Praise God! This opens a door towards therapy dog opportunities. I am still exploring my options, but my passion lies with comforting disadvantaged youths. Just think of all of the young men and women who could be kept out of prison as a result of learning what the love of Jesus really means. I am not interested in titles or even competition. I just want a loving Golden Retriever to help people feel better. I know that Golden Retrievers are to be bred by a certain standard and how competing for titles shows their worth and contribution to the breed, but I see them as loving companions first and foremost. I applaud reputable breeders. What they do for the Golden Retriever is amazing. Still, I would prefer that none of them let it get to their heads. I am trying not to allow owning and training a champion sired Golden Retriever get to my head either. Serving God is not about your accomplishments. It is about what God does through you. Ephesians 2:8-10. I once saw in the New York subway walkways a manned table set up with New Testaments on it. When a young person ran by and picked up one of the books, one of the guys sitting there cried out to him, for he could see right through him, “You want to achieve! You do don’t want to receive!” I received God’s grace of enabling me to pass the CGC test. I opted out of getting a formal CGC title. Why must competing and achieving be top priority anyway? I preach to prospecting puppy buyers to choose breeders who compete with their dogs, but is that really a top priority to me? At a minimum, breeders for screen for elbow and hip dysplasia as well as SAS and heart problems, in other words obtain the 4 clearances and not breed until the dogs are 2. I embrace responsible breeding. Competition, not so much. It is about cooperation, not competition. It is about lifting others up. It is about helping others be successful. It is about including others, embracing them and celebrating them. It is about discipling and mentoring people because you want your blessings to spread to them and not be kept to yourself or your circle of friends. It about giving people a sense of belonging and purpose. Sure, pet ownership is a privilege, but if someone longs to be a part of the dog loving community it is far better to prep them for the responsibility of dog ownership than to just leave them out. This is the message that I will using Mercy as an instrument to spread to the multitudes.