Lessons from Dogs #1 (and our first 4 weeks with Gracie)

We rescued this girl 4 weeks ago today. June 9, 2020 was her "Gotcha Day."

When we brought her home we couldn’t get within 4 feet of her in her crate without being sure we’d lose a hand, maybe a whole arm. The family that rescued her loaded her in the car in her crate (that she could open on her own by the way!).  When we got home, we had to cover the crate in blankets and lift it from the bottom so our fingers were not within reach of her teeth. She sat in that crate for 3 hours growling, lunging and snarling at us while Todd and I looked at each other and wondered what in the world we had been thinking. (But I insisted that she would be better off whether with us, or we'd find her a great solution.) When she cautiously emerged from the crate, it was only to cower in the corner farthest from us never taking her wary eyes off of us for fear of what we might do. She didn't go out to use the grass facilities for the first 15 hours with us. We tried rolling tennis balls toward her to draw her out. No luck. I wish I had gotten a video of her that first night so I could compare that time to now and times in the future. It's really very striking. But of course, during the moments you're alarmed or terrified, you're not thinking, "Hey! Let me pause and get a picture of this vicious animal." This was the first night--her fear is clear:

Within 24 hours she accidentally let me pet her while she was distracted and realized it was okay. But still, no one else could come close. There were SEVERAL rough days, but little by little she has let each human member of the family and her big fur brother into her circle of trust. She’s still reactive but getting less so every day. 

We renamed her Gracie and playfully call her Gracie-Goose (which is fitting because now she fully gooses me with her nose every morning as she excitedly welcomes me into the new day.) But Gracie is fitting because she's teaching us about how life changing is to be given grace and love, just like God offers us. 

We're loving Gracie through her struggles, we're growing and stretching our patience, we're watching love change her from a vicious attack animal to a lover. As I watch her, I am so struck by the transformation. And my heart is pondering the power of unconditional love. She's illustrating in a real, visible way how the unconditional love God offers each of us is truly transformative and healing. 

One of the training strategies we're learning is to draw her close when unknown things are near and have her look at us. (If you're looking for clutch dog-training strategies, check out Zak George on YouTube.) When she focuses on our eyes, she can see whether that unknown thing is alarming to us or whether we are at peace. She can draw on our energy and learn to trust that if we're not scared, she doesn't need to be scared either. I hope that soon, she will direct her attention to us without prompting when she wonders if something is to be feared. 

OOOOOHHHH the lessons in that. God tells us in the Bible we are to fix our eyes on Him, trust in Him, rest in His unfailing love, not to live in fear. In fact we're to give our anxiety to Him. So when I'm worried or afraid, maybe I should do the same thing I'm asking Gracie to do, huh? Look to Him, focus on Him, let Him put my heart at ease, trust Him to be my leader and caregiver. 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. -Proverbs 3:5

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. -Psalm 46:1

When I am afraid, I put my trust in You. -Psalm 56:3

There are still days that are hard. Gracie had no exposure to people beyond her family originally, no experience with another dog. Everything is an unknown, so everything is scary, so everything must be fought against. Walking her is still hard if a car drives by. I end up covered in sweat with a sore arm and a maladjusted neck. And yes, I still ask myself, "What in the world are we doing? Should we have taken this on?" I'm pretty sure God still gets frustrated with me...with each of us...because we also still have those moments. 

But then, she comes home, exhausted by the frenzy and ready to cuddle and I remember how far we've come in only four weeks after she spend seven months forming habits and fears before she joined us. She will continue to grow, just as I will always be a growing work in progress. 

Dogs can teach us a lot of things. So far, what she has taught me is the power of love to change and heal a heart. And all she's getting is our incomplete, messy, human helping of love. Imagine what the extravagant, unconditional love of God can do for you! 

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear. -1 John 4:18a

But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness. -Psalm 86:15

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Here are some fun milestones from our first four weeks with Gracie: 

Day 1- She was given to us with all of her gear for free today. We were told she is a mini-austrialian shepherd/border collie. After 3 hours she finally came out of the crate, but she's not coming out of the corner. Our big boy, Ranger, is trying to speak gentle dog body language to her. She is not having it.

Day 2- She accidentally got distracted and let me pet her. So I'm in the Circle of Trust now. And after 20 hours of full-alert fear and anxiety, her cute little body finally couldn't stay awake any longer, but her eyes are still full of worry. And later that day, the girls start working their way into the Circle of Trust.

Day 3- Our first time seeing her "happy tail!" and Todd is entering the Circle of Trust.

Day 5- Tentatively coming to terms with big fur-brother, Ranger. #rangerthegoldenirish

Day 15- Okay! Having a fur-brother and a yard to run in is actually pretty great!

Day 18- Human sisters are pretty great too!

Day 26-We got her genetic testing results. WOW!! Not what we expected! But that doesn't change how we feel about her!

Day 28- Okay. Yes, this is HOME.

 

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Thank you for reading along! 

Please subscribe to never miss out on the fun! But, even more interesting for us, comment with your thoughts, best rescue puppy rehab tips or questions. If you'd rather keep your questions or comments private, you can always email us at livewellplanted@gmail.com. We're excited to hear from you.

As always, look up and be blessed!

-Krista

Does the Bible Address Privilege?

Race.

Privilege.

Police.

White.

Black.

Riot.

Protest.

COVID.

Masks.

Reopen America.

Stay Home, Stay Safe.

Trump.

Biden. 
Red. 
Blue. 
Fox News. 
NBC News. 
Fake News. 

"37" by daffg is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

There are so many issues and so much media right now. There are so many opinions. There is so much need for careful discernment about what to read, listen to, believe and say. There is so much shouting. So much noise.

In our house, we do our best to collect and consume a wide variety of media and find sources that are original fact reporters that are as unbiased as we can find. 

That said, we all know by now that each of us carries inherent biases. And our minds are so malleable, we have to constantly ask ourselves why we think what we think. What conditioning have we experienced that led to those thoughts? And should we actually think what we think?

We don’t belong to a political party. We don't consider ourselves liberal or conservative. We don't believe any political stance is flawless. We love to hear people's opinions and their reasons for them, especially when they are different from our own. So what do we stand on? What steers us? 

With all the noise, I keep going back to one really important question as I navigate the issues today. Really, it's THE question.

“What does the Bible say?”

Today it's about privilege. 

What does the Bible say about privilege? I don't know of the word privilege being used as it is today in the Bible, but it occurred to me that Jesus gave us a beautiful example of privilege and what to do with it in the Parable of the Good Samaritan. (Luke 10: 25-37.)

"Concern" by Jan Tik is licensed under CC BY 2.0

I'll give you a quick rundown of the story Jesus told in terms that make sense plain sense today. (The great Teacher that He is, He was always using stories to make great points.) 

A man is traveling and gets robbed, stripped, beaten and left for dead in a ditch. He is passed by several different people who didn't help but instead go out of their way to walk by on the opposite side of the road! One of those people was a priest (Ouch! Hello, church!), the other a Jew from the Levite lineage. Eventually, a Samaritan man stops, administers first aid, give the man a ride on his donkey while he walks beside, puts him up in a hotel (the Bible says "inn") and pays for home health care for as long as the man needs it. 

That's the story in a nutshell. And on it's own it is beautiful. But diving deeper into the context, it gets even better! 

First, the story is told during a time of a deep, contentious cultural divide. (Sound familiar?) The traveler is presumably Jewish. At the time Jews and Samaritans were in a hate-hate relationship. Culturally speaking, the priest and the Levite would be expected to be the most likely to have wanted to help their fellow Jew fallen on hard times. But they didn't. No, instead it was the Samaritan who "crossed the aisle" of cultural and political differences to serve the traveler. 

Here's what I see. It looks like I'm supposed to ignore the outward characteristics that make people around me different than myself when evaluating who to help and when. I'm supposed to help even when it's least comfortable and socially safe to do so. I'm supposed to advocate for people in need even when their cause isn't my cause and their struggle isn't my struggle. And maybe even I'm supposed to love those that are the hardest to love?! Whoa now. Ok...

Second, the whole reason Jesus was telling his disciples this story is that he had instructed them to "Love your neighbor as yourself." The disciples, being human and thinking like it wanted a clear, easy answer about who that meant they had to love as themselves. They were likely hoping it meant the person that lived right next to them in similar circumstances socially, culturally and economically. In other words, the person that was likely the easiest for them to love. But NOPE! Jesus turned that idea upside-down and makes a point that the person who they are to love as themselves is the person likely on the bottom of their list of desirable options. (Darn it all! Are you serious? I'm supposed to love that guy as myself?!)

The last contextual detail is where privilege shows up. The Samaritan man obviously had resources. The traveler had nothing left. (And it wasn't his fault, just like those with less than you or I often arrived at that place by no fault of their own.) The traveler was not the Samaritan's problem. The Samaritan had no responsibility to help. No one at all would have expected or pressured him to help. He was the least likely candidate. But he acknowledged that he was in a position with the power (resources, ability, skill, etc) to help. THAT IS PRIVILEGE. He didn't look at the man and think "Bummer. Sucks to be you!" He looked at the man, had compassion, and sacrificed his time, money and likely even his social status among his peers to help the traveler. He realized something that we who are in positions of power in this society must own. We have privilege and privilege means we have a responsibility--a duty--to use our position to lift others. 

In fact, Jesus concludes his lesson with that very directive when he says "Go and do likewise." 

So what does it mean today to "Go and do likewise?"

I think it means asking ourselves about the different kinds of power and advantage (see "privilege") we each have and how we can use it to help those who don't. 

Does your race put you in a position of power today?

Does your gender put you in a position of power today?

Does your net worth put you in a position of power today?

Does your employment status put you in a position of power today?

Does your citizenship put you in a position of power today? 

Does your profession put you in a position of power today? 

Does your physical strength put you in a position of power today?

Does your resume' put you in a position of power today? 

Does your food or housing security put you in a position of power today?

Does your health put you in a position of power today?

Does your voice put you in a position of power today?

Does your ________ put you in a position of power today? 

I can definitely say yes to some of those questions. And now that I know better, I must do better. I must "Go and do likewise." I must use my positions of power to tend to the wounds of others, pick them up and carry them to safety and stability and ability.  

I doubt anyone I know would pass by a beaten person in a ditch without helping...but I challenge you to consider that many people are laying in the ditches of society today and their beatings by life’s circumstances and other people's actions have them wounded deeply below their skin's surface...our responsibility applies here just as well.

Yep, the Bible tells us that Jesus addressed privilege and it also tells us we don't get to just sit comfortably in our privilege and defend it (aka, walk by on the other side of the road and ignore the problem).

Humbly and Prayerfully,

--Krista

Everything Has Changed--But the Best Stuff HAS NOT CHANGED

I’m sitting this morning drinking my coffee on the front porch. It’s the best time and place for peace and reflection. And prayer. Have you found that time and place for yourself? I pray you do. 

I’m enjoying the Daily Hope email devotions from Pastor Rick Warren. Many of you will remember his book “Purpose-Driven Life”. If you’re looking for a way to focus your life and live with purpose and be inspired by God, it’s a great place to start.

Anyway, after reading today’s devotion about how Jesus left us a “tour guide for life” in the Holy Spirit after he ascended to heaven (thank you God!), I closed my eyes to reflect and pray and I was struck by some things. 

Right now it feels like the whole world is upside down. I made the mistake of letting the first things I read this morning be some news of violence and tragedy, then of political hostility, then of virus case numbers and complications. And I laid in bed and prayed, “Jesus! Come back soon! This world is a disaster!” Nothing feels like it used to or like it should. It seems like everything has changed.

But as I sit here on this porch I am surrounded by the sounds of dozens of species of birds singing and calling out to each other. They were prompted by the rising of the sun to start their song, just like yesterday. Are they praising God for causing another sunrise? I think it sounds like that. And that is something that remains the same this spring even though the world is upside down compared to last spring. That birds still sing for God has not changed.

My humanness wants to yell out to them, “Why are you still singing? Do you know what is going on in the world? This is a mess. There’s so much despair. Don’t you know today isn’t as song-worthy as it should be? Are you fools?!” But I know better. I think they know something I’m forgetting to think about when I want to say those things to them. 

They know God is still on the throne. That He knows each of them fully and cares for them, the bird and also the flowers. He tells us that in His word. (Luke 12) And He insists that He cares for us even more. Knowing His heart, He is surely grieving and aching for us in this suffering. Even more so, He is longing for us to look to Him and draw near to Him and lean into him for hope, comfort, reassurance and love. That’s the best possible outcome from this situation, that we will grow closer to Him. He has always been about relationship with us. That has not changed.

The birds are singing such a strong joyful song. I can’t help but think they are reacting to the knowledge of how wide and long and deep and high the love of God is for them. And for us! You too! These birds seem to know that His love is overwhelming and they’re compelled to cry out in praise in response. God’s love is unconditional and extravagant. That has not changed. 

God knew we would go through this. It seems like everyday we are hit again with a new blow of change and difficulty. But this is no surprise to God. And just as He knew this would happen, He has promised to provide for us the strength and wisdom to navigate it if we are following his lead and depending on him for that strength and wisdom beyond our own. It’s ours to have because He is our ever-loving, never failing Father. That has not changed.

We have a hope that goes beyond this present set of circumstances. God doesn’t promise that walking with Him will mean no pain, no difficulty, no challenge, an easy life. He does promise that He will provide the strength to stand up under our burdens when we depend on Him for that strength. And He doesn’t promise that we’ll even survive every challenge. Not on earth anyway. The promise remains that we have an eternal home without pain and suffering in heaven. That is the hope we depend on. That heaven is there and Our Father will welcome us home there no matter how this ends has not changed. 

It seems everything has changed if we look around. But if we look up, we see that the biggest, most important things have not changed. Not one bit. Thank you God!

--Krista

Chicken Tortilla Soup-- In Honor of Mom

 

We're posting this one this weekend because it's Mother's Day and this is Nanny's (Todd's mom) FAVORITE!! Sorry Nanny! We're making this Chicken Tortilla soup without you. Blame it on the virus! 





We miss you! When do grandparents reopen??!






Chicken tortilla soup has been a many years long, trial and error recipe. Eventually, Todd became inspired by Blue Zones and he wanted to find a way to make beans a star of this recipe. That's how the magic happened. 

It can be something you make in the winter as the perfect cozy warm thing, but it has such a great medley of flavors that it works well in summer as well! 

Let's get started! 

Ingredients:

• 3 strips Bacon, cut into small squares
• 1 T. oil, canola or olive, or Bacon fat
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 red pepper diced
• 1 yellow pepper diced
• 1 c. sweet corn
• 10 oz. can of diced tomatoes with green chilies (Rotel)
• 15 oz. can fire roasted tomatoes 
• 1-1/2 t chili powder
• 1-1/2 t cumin
• 1 t oregano
• 1/2 t granulated garlic
• 1/2 t salt
• 1-1/2 lbs finger pulled chicken breast meat, precooked
• 4 c. chicken stock
• 1 T. chicken base
• 3 oz. (half of a 6 oz can) tomato paste
• 15 oz. can of black beans
• 15 oz. can pinto beans
• 3 T. corn meal
• Tortilla chips (a base layer for each bowl)
• Shredded cheddar (a sprinkling for each bowl)
• 1 avocado, diced
• Cilantro, chopped, to garnish
• Sour cream (a dollop for each bowl)
• Wedges of lime 

Instructions:

Heat up the oil in the Dutch Oven (DO). Cook the Bacon (we capitalize Bacon because it's Bacon) until crispy.

Remove the bacon from the DO and set it aside in a bowl to be used as a garnish at the end. 

Too bad for this guy...we're smarter this time. 

Add the onions into the DO and carmelize (until softened), stir deglazing the DO in the process.

Add in the peppers and cook until softened. Next, go in the can of tomatoes and chilies (juices and all) and the sweet corn. Now pour over the spices (chili powder, cumin, oregano, garlic and salt) and stir together.  

Stir in the chicken. 

Add in chicken stock, chicken base and tomato paste. Bring it all to a simmer.   

  

Drain and rinse the beans--The stars of the show. Add them in and bring it back to a simmer.

Sprinkle corn meal in. Then, bring to a simmer for at least 25 minutes to melt all the flavors together. 

Time to prepare your serving bowls. Take a small handful of tortilla chips, crush them and layer them across the bottom of the bowl. Grate cheddar cheese over the chips. This is the hidden secret that your diners won't even realize makes it so, so good! Here's steps 1, 2 and 3: 

Get your lime, cilantro, avocado, sour cream and bacon ready. 

And Todd will help you bring all the magic together!

This one can't be beat. 

And we'd both just like to say how very blessed we are to have mothers that love and serve and care for us and our kiddos so much. We are counting our blessings and feeling rich this weekend. Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there. It's the hardest, most full time, most fulfilling hat a woman can wear and we are so, so grateful for the investment our mamas have made in us and our family!