God’s Portrait

 

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My Mercy Miracle. Daughter and Sister of Champions

From the very beginning, there has been an M drawn on Mercy’s face. I named her Mercy while she was still in her mother’s womb. And speaking of her mother, I got news of her mother Ursa going home to a new family. I have been in touch with the new family and I pray they get back in touch with me so mother and daughter can meet again. We went to the park on Sunday evening despite the unstable weather conditions. There were isolated thunderstorms. I decided to take some cool pictures of Mercy in the meadow with the strange looking skies in the background. However, when I zoomed my camera in on her, I could see more clearly how God painted her face with an M on her forehead, which stands for Mercy. The M made Mercy look kind of clownish around the time she turned 4 months of age. At 5 months, the M was not as easily seen. Now that she is 6 1/2 months old, the M has reappeared or become more defined and now blends in beautifully as part of an overall normal Golden Retriever portrait of a face. I love the face that God has painted on her. She is very beautiful now. Her sister is a UKC champion. Her dad is a UKC Grand Champion and AKC Champion.

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Golden Retrievers Provide Emotional Support

Golden Retrievers provide emotional support to people with disabilities and mental illness. People with mental illness often have a lack of connections and support as well as a lack of social skills are often alone and suffering silently. I am grateful to God that I have enough money to pay for a dog and the hard earned social skills to get approved for a puppy from a reputable breeder as well as the ability to care for a dog with God’s help. Not all people with mentally illness who could benefit from the unconditional love of a Golden Retriever are so lucky. For people with mental illness, it is a struggle to get approved for a dog, to pay for a dog’s care, or to care for a dog. The people who are most in need of canine companionship, are often the ones who struggle the most to attain and retain it. I agree that the needs of a dog should be considered and there are unfortunately people who lack the skills needed to be a fit and responsible dog owner. There are many people who should not own a dog. However there lonely people who are of good character and integrity who might be at risk of losing their dog due to financial or health concerns or people who know how to reasonably care for a dog, but due to their emotional need and/or lack of social skills act desperate for a dog and are turned down by rescues and breeders. Dogs are very therapuetic and beneficial to mental health. How could that be a luxury? Golden Retrievers provide unconditional acceptance and support to those who might not be getting it from humans. Of course, turning to Jesus Christ for unconditional love is of utmost priority since we are to worship the creator and not the creations. Still, Golden Retrievers can still teach us about Jesus and often God uses animals to communicate His love to us. Dogs can provide unconditional emotional support to people who might otherwise not have any human support. It’s a catch 22 unfortunately that those people who lack connections and support may have a harder time aquiring a dog since they lack rapport. I hope that someday through my ministry with Mercy I can help be an advocate for people who struggle with disabilities who are lonely and need canine companionship. Until then in the meantime, I will continue to raise Mercy to be a therapy dog.

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Where is my Sphere or Community of Influence?

As I write this post, I still ponder at the different societal groups and beliefs and philosophies of these groups. The breeder I visited with 9 years ago finally wrote and congratulated me in finally purchasing a puppy. For that, I rejoice. Being an owner of a Golden Retriever however, is only a part of my overall purpose in life. My vision is still taking shape. Using Mercy as an instrument for the sake of The Gospel and The Kingdom will have an impact. However, it is only a portion of the overall messsage of His Grace that I wish to share.  I aspire to follow in the wake of people such as Sheila Walsh, Dr. Martin Luther King and Ghandi. I see the culture around me with it’s attitudes, personalities and values, and wonder how I am I supposed to possibly influence them. There is too much emphasis on rules and placing high value on things that really do not matter in the long run instead of the Grace and Mercy of Jesus Christ. Some morals, principles and virtues such as neatness and being proper for instance are being hashed out too much while there are more important issues that need to be addressed like hurting and broken people who are in need of a healing and loving touch. This is love that can only come from Jesus Christ. Quite frankly I am disgusted with a culture that has a lack of compassion, tenderness and grace upon those who are struggling and are instead intolerant of people who are not successful superstars. The virtues, principles and morals of promoting goodwill and common good should have much more presidence and priority than those that will not matter in the long run like whether someone’s hair is too long or too short. One of the main reasons why I acquired a dog named Mercy is to educate people all over the world about forgiveness, compassion, grace and of course mercy.

I consider myself to be an outcast who is too keenly aware of this performance, competition, accomplishment oriented society who excludes people who are not overachievers. The goals, visions, missions, values and objectives of certain cultural groups, institutions and communities are contrary to the teachings of Jesus Christ. I am not a complaining crybaby merely crying out for help for myself but on the behalf of the plight of those like myself who are suffering in silence without support. It is these cultures and values that are so contrary and contrasting to my own that make me feel trapped and uncertain as how to I am to move forward to better my own life, let alone influence the lives of others. I am at a crossroads as to which decisions to make next. I am contemplating applying to attend Regent University. How do I know that the values and philosophies and culture behind that institution are not considerably in conflict with my own? How am I supposed to influence people with the gospel when certain groups may not take me seriously because of my being different socially than they are. It goes back to the Golden Retriever who will be a symbol and instrument of God’s peace who will help give the message I am trying to convey conviction and meaning.

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I have no need to be popular among other Golden Retriever enthusiasts.

Still baffled about my lack of connections and lack of Golden Retriever people welcoming me into their fold, God is showing me that in order to fulfill my calling for the sake of His kingdom, that there is really no need to have relationships with other Golden owners. Let me give you an analogy: I need my State Farm car insurance in order to safely drive my car just as I need my dog as an instrument of the love,
mercy and Grace of Jesus Christ. I don’t have a desire to hang with other State Farm customers! Even though I would enjoy being welcomed among Golden owners, it is not a requirement for me to raise Mercy to be a therapy dog, although she needs to be socialized with other dogs in order for her to grow up to be a well mannered canine citizen. I am taking Mercy to the dog park tonight to hopefully meet up with a woman that I just met at a dog wash fundraiser Dogtopia was having for police dogs. She fell in love with Mercy and Mercy and her Beagle have become the best of friends.

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Desire to belong in a place where there’s love and beauty

Well, I decided to write the breeder that I met with 9 years ago since I was hoping to see her at the local Golden Retriever club event, filling her in on some things including telling her about Mercy and which litter she came from. I still have yet to hear back from her. Sigh. Anyway, I really long to belong where love is strong in a family or communty that includes Christ Centered Christians, dog lovers, music lovers, nature lovers, country farm communities and families, where there is joy, peace, and love. I along with my husband and son as well as Mercy went to a beautiful park in Fauquier County Virginia where there are forests and country meadows galore. This park is also on a big lake. It was paradise! I felt like I was in heaven. I pretended that I was a little girl growing up on a farm with her Golden Retriever. There are long rows of hay bales. There are thistles, grasshoppers and butterflies. It was so idyllic. We attended a concert in the woods by the lake in an open area by the trees. It was divine! The guitar music flowed through my veins, melting my stress away. I didn’t want to leave. It felt like being at a Christian camp. Ahhhhhh! I am not sure if this musician knows Christ, but I felt His presence! This was a place of love, community, family, beauty, peace and joy!

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My Main Objective…

My main objective for Journey with Mercy is to point viewers of my blog who otherwise do not have a relationship with Jesus towards the One who is being glorified through these stories, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. As I type this, I am a little disappointed about an event that I was going to attend with Mercy that got cancelled due to rain. A local Golden Retriever club was planning to have a picnic, and I was really looking forward to it. I was also looking forward to meeting up with the breeder I had met with 9 years prior who had owned Bill, Maddie and still owns Bang. I was going to surprise her when introducing her to Mercy, telling her that I purchased her from the breeder that she has a relationship with and from which litter, so she would know how she is related to her dogs. I long for a connection. I long to belong. I hunger for good relationships with others, whether other Golden Retriever owners or other members of the body of Christ, or anybody who shares my values. However, I must not lose sight of my main objective, glorifying God. My biggest goal is not to become popular, but I hope that by using Mercy as an instrument of God’s love, mercy and grace people will get to know God. We took Mercy to the Dog Days of Summer at Sky Meadow State Park despite the rain. She was loved by all while we were there. Mercy is so loving and soaking up attention from many people. I really hope that those who get to know her whether through media or in person will see the connection between the unconditional love that dogs, especially Golden Retrievers give and the unconditional love of Jesus Christ.

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My Mercy Miracle

Like I promised, I wish to share with you part 2 as to how my Mercy Miracle came about. It was a joyous time of the year when I had put a deposit down on a litter. This was a repeat breeding that had produced champions before. She was planning two litters and during a day of prayer in between Thanksgiving and the date we met the breeder I asked God which litter and he whispered to me the name of the champion dog that had been produced previously by this litter. Other people had put deposits down before me. I still thought that would not be an issue since we expected for there to be plenty of puppies to go around. I prayed a lot for my puppy during the Christmas season and until the pups were born.

I was hoping for a blond puppy, but when I begged God for a blond puppy while eyeing a bag of Milo’s kitchen treats, God sternly corrected me and told me that since this dog would be used for His purposes, to bring comfort to the hurting and that those people I would visit and minster to would not care what color she is. I had after all longed for a Golden Retriever to give me purpose in life in that I would be using her as an instrument of the unconditional love and mercy of Jesus Christ and as a symbol of peace and hope as well as a source of light in a dark world.

Anyway, the date of the birth of the litter arrived, Super Bowl Sunday 2012 to be exact! Unfortunately, it was not smooth sailing. The birth was problematic. Sadly, two female pups were stilborn. Then a male pup died the next day. Besides, the dam was 6 years old. This would be her last litter, making the pups ore precious. There were only 6 surviving pups left and I was 6th on the waiting list.

Then I recieved some dreadful news on March 7th. Another person, a breeder suddenly decided late in the game that she wanted a puppy after not wanting one initially. Breeders are given top priority over pet homes. My breeder told me that she did not want to have to share the news with me and that I would have to be bumped from the litter until further notice. There was a chance that she might be able to talk her out of it since she was being unreasonable. I felt devastated! I had lost my pup before I even got to bring it home! Satan had stolen the puppy from me that was rightfully mine!

I pleaded with God for 9 days to get the puppy back for me with even greater force than the enemy had used to take her from me. I meditated on God’s word and studied my Message Bible, which was a great comfort to me during this time. I knew in my heart that God had promised me this puppy. There were too many other things that had come into place for me not to have this puppy. I could not possibly fathom or remotely imagine going through the upcoming spring and summer without a puppy! Through His Word God told me that He would do whatever he had to do to make sure the puppy He ordained for me for me to have would indeed come home with me. I was telling people as a means of comforting myself that this puppy would be my Mercy Miracle, my M & M dog.

One thing I did not mention that was also an important factor, was that when I met with the other breeder 9 years earlier when I was 27 years old, I was introduced to two dogs that I had no idea would have divine significance later in my life. She was also planning a repeat breeding and using a stud dog from Richmond Virginia even though she lived in Jarretsville Maryland. I had met the dam, Maddie that she was planning to breed. She also introduced me to the offspring from the previous breeding of Maddie and the stud dog from Richmond, Tonka. I met Bang, the son of Maddie and Tonka. He was so cute and funny with a gorgeous shaped head, although he was a little dark to my liking. She also introduced me to Bill. Bill was the sweetest friendliest most gentle Golden Retriever I had ever had the pleasure of meeting. I was thinking “Why isn’t she breeding Bill to Maddie?” Lo and behold, this breeder that I had committed to was the same breeder in Richmond who once owned Tonka! The dam of this litter that I had placed a deposit on was Bang’s daugter! The sire was Bill’s son! How could that not be God! During these grueling agonizing long days, I kept replaying these truths in my head.  I kept thinking about how God led me to this breeder and how he whispered to me the information I needed to decide which litterto put a deposit on. As it turned out, the female that was to be bred to produce this other litter got sick and could not be bred. God kept reassuring me all though those nine days even though there was turmoil in my mind and lies from Satan explaining why I was not meant to get this puppy. We had plans to help my girlfriend get stuff out of an out of town storage unit that would take place two days after I recieved the bad news. I knew had to be strong for my friend.  I had kept my mouth shut about the puppy the whole time. We had made a stop during this road trip journey for dinner and dessert. While my girlfriend and I were chatting, noticed that she was wearing an M&M jacket! I knew right then that God would get my puppy back for me. He showed me a couple of more signs also.  I was staring at clouds in the sky as we were heading back from the out of town storage unit and I had asked God to show me a sign. I looked up at this particlar cloud, hoping it would take some shape that would be sigificant. I was meditiating on M&M. The cloud actually gradually took the shape of an M&M as if I had control of making it into an M&M. It was not a perfect M&M, but nonetheless, it was enough of an M&M to count. Lastly, when I was getting stuff out of my trunk a few days later, I saw an M&Ms wrapper!

I decided to call the breeder the next day to see if she had any good news. She informed me that she had a meeting scheduled with this other breeder later that very same day. I prayed ferverently during especally during the time the meeting took place for God to convince her to release the puppy. She did! I called the breeder early the next morning to get the news and she told me that  had woken her up but that I would be getting my baby! The 9 day scare had come to an end! It was time to celebrate my Mercy Miracle!

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The Gift of Mercy

The Gift of Mercy.

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The Gift of Mercy

My Gift of Mercy

I have been given the gift of Mercy by God when I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I am also have a talent for writing, a passionate interest in psychology and an artistic personality type. I am also a dreamer when it come to the pursuit of my calling. I am seeking my destiny, longing so much to find and fulfill it. I have loved dogs for many years, but in my early childhood years I was petrified of them. I grew fascinated by the canine species as I grew up. Now I love them very much and adore them with a passion. Since I was about 20 I was certain that I wanted a Golden Retriever. I had admired and loved the breed since I started loving dogs at around age 11. The Golden Retriever was my “Dream” dog. I thought (and still do think) they are such wonderful dogs. Their loving, forgiving sweet natured demeanor along with their gorgeous coat and warm adorable happy looking faces captures my heart. When I was 20 years old, I had not even had a dog, let alone a Golden Retriever. I finally decided to get a mixed breed puppy out of the classifieds since I wanted a dog so badly, yet was on a very tight budget. Most of what I learned about dog ownership came by raising this first dog. Finally after I had had my mixed breed dog for many years, my longing for a Golden Retriever grew stronger. At age 27, I had started contacting breeders. I even visited a breeders home and got to meet her dogs. I was hoping I could accquire a pup later that same year, but it never materialized. My finances were in danger and I unfortunately had to file for bankruptcy in 2004. My dream for a Golden was put on the back burner indefinately. I eventually got married and had a baby boy. My mixed breed dog died when my new son turned 3 months old. Finally, my longing for a Golden Retriever grew more intense than ever last summer and fall after going through a period of emptiness and desolateness. I started contacting breeders again resuming what I started after 9 years of laying dormant, the search for my very own Golden Retriever. I got in touch with several breeders starting in late October 2011 after researching for 2 weeks after I resumed my search and making my final decision in early December 2011. I thought I had my mind made up before Thanksgivng which breeder I would choose. Then a bizarre turn of events changed my choice of breeder. God had just the pup in mind. I was all excited about visiting my girlfriend’s house for Thanksgiving and showing pictures of the sire and dam being bred for the next litter from what I thought was my breeder of choice. My girlfriend had recently had her second child and could not allow any guests with the slightest hint of a cold. Finally, it was the day before Thanksgiving and when I woke up for work, I heard horrible sounds of congestion coming from my son’s bedroom. I was in anguish! There would be no visiting my friend on Thanksgiving. I knew I would have to make alternative plans and scrambled to find a place for Thanksgiving dinner. I live in the quaint town of Manassas
Virginia, near the edge of the Appalachian mountains. I wanted to find a place to eat a little deeper into Virginia. Then an idea crossed my mind, perhaps I could search for additional Golden Retriever breeders. Too make a long story short, one thing led to another and I contacted yet Golden Retriever breeder on the day before Thanksgiving and put a deposit down on a puppy from that breeder on December 3rd. God later suggested I name my puppy Mercy. This pup would end up being a more of a beautiful gift of Mercy then I ever could have imagined. More details to follow tomorrow.

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Mercy & Me

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