Lessons From The Dog Trainer

Our daughter, Erin, has a dog.  Not a bad thing except that I'm not really a pet person, and since Erin still lives at home, the dog lives here, too.  So I guess you could say "we" have a dog.

With 11 people in the house, you can imagine the different ways Mayter has been "raised".  We have learned the hard way that most of them are wrong.

Poor pup is a nervous wreck, (lip licking and yawning) because he doesn't know who's boss.  He barks viciously at some people and some dogs (and all squirrels).  He "christens" one particular niece whom he loves, every time she comes over.

Erin knew something had to be done and so she hired a dog trainer.  This woman is an expert in the field of behavioral training for dogs.  She works with dogs who are one step away from being put down because of their aggressive behavior.  The nice part is she has given us hope that Mayter is rehab-able.

What she taught us, first and foremost is that dogs need to trust and respect the individuals in the "pack" before they will be calm and controlled.  Once they trust and respect, then they can give up control and be led and taught.

Isn't that just like a human?  To whom do we pour out our hearts?  With whom are we vulnerable enough to speak freely about anything?  Only with someone we trust and respect.

How much do we trust and respect God?  Are we so close to Him, because we do our part by making Him the center of our lives, that we run to Him with every joy, sorrow, need, want, praise, thanks, hope?

Not there yet?  Give prayer, true quiet-time, open, honest prayer a try.  God knows everything that is in us anyway.  You can't hide your anger, your guilt, your pain, or your joy, your hopes and your dreams from Him so you may as well offer it to Him in prayer, rather than clinging to it selfishly.

You, too, can be transformed by a little behavioral training.  First learn to trust Him, this will lead to deep respect and before you know it, you will be able to lay everything down before Him and allow Him to lead you. Isn't that the way He wants it?  Isn't that really the way we want it?

Peace!


www.thatslife12.blogspot.com

One Mother, Many Titles

The month of October is a special month in which we are reminded to pray the Rosary daily.   October 13 is especially important because it is the anniversary of the miracle of the sun at Fatima, Portugal.  For those who do not know the story of Our Lady of Fatima there is a ton of info on Google and several good movies about it. (I do not recommend "13 Days" however.  I found it very dark and grim.)

Traveling statue of Our Lady of Fatima.  This particular statue has been know to shed tears. 

In short, Mary appeared to three young children on May 13, 1917 in Fatima. She asked them to pray the Rosary every day and to offer their sufferings for the reparation for sins.  She appeared on the 13th of each month through October and on that day 70,000+ pilgrims watched the sun dance in the sky. One of the visionaries, Lucia Santos, lived until Feb. 13,  2005.

Since there are still a few days left in October, I thought I would share some of the many titles and pictures of Our Lady.  In Luke 1:48 Mary tells us through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit: "from this day all generations will call me blessed."   Not only do we call her blessed, we are blessed to have her intercession for us always.  Thank you, Mamma Mary!

The Our Lady of Good Counsel original fresco from Genazzano.

Our Lady of Good Counsel

"According to tradition, in the year 1467, in the midst of the festivities for the Feast of Saint Mark, the townfolk suddenly heard "exquisite music." A mysterious cloud was then said to have descended and obliterated an unfinished wall of the parish church. In front of the populace, the cloud dissipated and a beautiful fresco, no thicker than a carte-de-visite and no more than eighteen inches square, of the Virgin Mary and the Christ Child was revealed. It was widely believed that it had been miraculously transported from a church in Scutari, Albania." ^(Wikipedia) 

Black Madonna of Częstochowa, Poland.

 There are many legends surrounding the "Black Madonna".  This  image is not as dark as some I have seen.  This is the most important information I gathered: " The Virgin Mary is shown as the "Hodegetria" ("One Who Shows the Way"). In it the Virgin directs attention away from herself, gesturing with her right hand toward Jesus as the source of salvation. In turn, the child extends his right hand toward the viewer in blessing while holding a book of gospels in his left hand." (Wikipedia)

Our Lady of Lourdes.  campus.udayton.edu


Our Lady appeared several times to a peasant girl named Bernadette Soubirous in Lourdes, France from February 11 through July 16, 1858.  When she appeared, Bernadette asked for a name to give to the priest so he would know who spoke to her.  Our Lady called herself, The Immaculate Conception.

Our Lady of Guadalupe

Under the title of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mary appeared to Juan Diego on Tepyak Hill near Mexico City.  The year was  1531.  Juan had a difficult time convincing his Archbishop that Our Lady had, indeed, appeared to him.  The Archbishop asked for a sign.  Juan presented Our Lady with this request.  Even though it was December and there was snow on the ground, she told Juan to go pick the roses she had left for him.  He brought her the roses and Mary arranged them in his tilma.  She told him to take the tilma to the Archbishop. When the Archbishop opened the tilma, the roses fell to the ground, but the image of Our Lady, just as Juan had seen her, remained on his cloak.

There are many more titles and many more devotions, and appearances.  Our Mother wants to be near us always.  I will leave you with one last image (ok, two).  It is one of my very favorites.  

The Madonna of the Streets by Roberto Ferruzzi

This is one rendition of the painting, It is very different from the original, but I found this information, again, on Wikipedia: "Although not originally painted as a religious picture, this painting became popularized as an image of the Virgin Mary holding her infant son, and has become the most renowned of Ferruzzi's works."

This is the image that hangs in our home:

How's Your Inner Peace?

Have you ever heard the saying, "If you want to make God laugh, make plans"? I know it well and this week has it played out many times and it's only Wednesday.

Last week the kids went back to school. I don't have to drive them this year because our Senior has his license and access to a vehicle.  What a relief!  So, last week went something like this: get up, do my morning routine, pack my gym bag, kiss the kiddos goodbye and head off to Mass and then to the gym.  After my workout, come home, clean a little, read a little, play that darn "Candy Crush" a little.  You know, "me time".

So, come Monday, I was ready for more of the same. I had my gym back packed, Magnificat at the ready, and then my driver came out of his room looking a little green around the gills and told me he was staying home from school.  Ho hum.  Back to last year's routine.  Thankfully I didn't get upset, I just readjusted.  I took the kids to school, went to a different Mass and came home ready to work.  Then I got a phone call from my dear one.  He forgot his glasses; would I please bring them to the office?  Sure thing. {sigh}

Over the weekend I happened to pick up a copy of the book, 'Jesus Calling' by Sarah Young.  On a whim, since I had purchased it to give to someone else, I opened to the page for August 26, Monday.  This is what I read: "Trust me in the midst of a messy day."  I had to laugh.  God knew I needed that.  It went on to say,  "Your inner peace in my Presence need not be shaken by what is going on around you."

Good thing, because next, two of our fleet of vehicles died (thankfully not on the same day), the vacuum died and another child got sick.  Chuckle, chuckle, chuckle? Or, come to Me? Lean on Me?

How often do we let the world and its issues effect our mood, our outlook, our peace?  I could have gotten upset, and maybe next time I will.  This time, however, my peace was not disturbed and God took the time to remind me that I need to be this way all the time, not just on a good mood day.

There are many instances where I could have used this reminder. Sunday night comes to mind.  I was thinking about an issue over which I had no control.  But, not having any control was frustrating me. In the midst of my internal frustration, one of the littles was being very needy, way past bedtime.  I found myself becoming less kind by the minute and so I had to leave the house.

Instead of handing my frustration over to God, and receiving His peace, I let it get to me.  I did the right thing by leaving, so as not to inflict pain on an innocent heart. I fled to the Adoration Chapel, where God refreshed me.  We can't always have it together, but we can always flee to the one who wants to give us His peace.

Every day before my dear one leaves for work he asks, "What can I pray for?"  Ninety percent of the time my answer is peace.  Those prayers are working.  If you find yourself lacking that inner peace, pray for it.   God loves to answer those kind of prayers.

Take Time to Listen

Sometimes it is hard to listen to the Holy Spirit (or your guardian angel-I have an impossible time telling the difference) but you'll always be glad that you did, so be open to hearing that voice.

One day, a couple of weeks ago, I was privy to an interaction between a mom and her young son.  The mom was late for work and the son was moving a little too slowly for her liking and so she was yelling at him.  Had this been the first time I had heard this happening I probably would have just let it go.  I was very tempted to do so even though it wasn't the first time.  But, the Holy Spirit kept nudging me, so I walked over to talk to her. Since our conversation was very short and she left for work almost immediately, I have no idea if I helped defuse the situation or not.  But, at least I did what I was told.

Yesterday was no different in that I did listen to what I was told to do, however this time I got to see the whole scene played out and so I benefitted from the obedience.

I was in the dining room trying, for the umpteenth time that day, to get the table cleaned off.  There was a box of spaghetti noodles that I picked up and stuck under my arm to carry down the basement.  Well, the box was open and the open end was pointed down and so all the noodles hit the floor.  Heavy sigh!!!  Which almost turned into a rant, until I heard the word, "laugh" in my head.  So, I laughed.

My tenacious one and her big sister were in the room when it happened and they heard the sigh. They immediately leapt into action to help me clean up, but with looks on their faces like they were ready for me to yell!  When I laughed instead they both smiled and became calm, though still willing to help.

Not five minutes later, my little helper was opening a bag of cheesy rice for supper and she dropped it, spilling half of it on the floor.  Given my reaction to my spill, she just smiled at me (and I at her) and got the broom.  I saved the other half of the rice, which we had for dinner, but my earlier laugh saved the day.

She knew that I would not be upset with her because I had just laughed at myself.

Thank you Holy Spirit, or guardian angel.  I appreciate your ever watchful care over me.

www.thatslife12.blogspot.com