Jack’s Winning Words 11/3/21

“I believe dogs are the closest thing to Jesus on Earth.  They love you no matter what you do to them.”  (12-yr-old Kayson, at the death of his boxer)  I’ll never forget Sparky, my pet dog when I was a kid.  I don’t know if I’d compare him to Jesus, but he was pretty special.  The song, “Old Shep,” still is a tear-jerker.  If, indeed, a dog can be like Jesus, what qualities might he have?  Young Kayson saw in his boxer, unquestioning love.  I like that about Jesus…and faithfulness, too.  Did you have a pet who was special to you?  ;-)  Jack   

FROM JU IN NC:  My family will always remember Toby.  But the special feature about him for me comes from a morning before going to school.  I was given the task to load up ol Mike ,a docile boar pig , into a trailer, and take him to market. We had a small pen that Mike was being held in and usually was manageable.  This morning, however, he had no desire to cooperate. After coaxing and chasing and pushing, Mike suddenly had enough.  He turned on me and I saw this wide open mouth with razor sharp teeth coming at me.  I knew in an instant that his mouth was closer than any escape route.  Toby must have been observing the whole scene.  Dashing into the pen came this black and brown dog biting the heef of Mike.  I used the distraction to climb over the top of the pen to safety .===JACK:  That seems to be another version of Old Shep, who rescued Jim from drowning.  Your sister told me how Toby wandered on to your ranch and became the family pet.  

FROM WILLMAR REV:  Take this for an example-- place your wife and the dog in the truck of your car for 30 minutes and see who is most excited to see you when you open the truck lid up again!" 0;-)===JACK:  i didn't think that AG pastors told jokes.  Are you the exception?===REV:  My response to those who ask-- "50,000 comedians out of a job, and you got stuck with me?!" 0;-)) ===JACK:  Joan's transgender daughter is a stand-up comic, living in Duluth.  

 FROM DS IN SOCAL:  I think Kayson was right.  All my dogs were wonderful,  but we lost one 2 years ago that was extra special to us.===JACK:  It seems to be a shame that the lifespan of dogs is relatively short...but "one day at a time" is good advice for any relationship.===DS:  Yes, I have often said, God's greatest creature should have been given a longer life span.  I have had to "put down" too many of these wonderful animals....have never had a "bad" one. ===JACK:  I was usually the one in our family to give our pet his last ride.

 

FROM ST PAUL IN ST PAUL:  most pets (dogs especially)  love us unconditionally.  too bad we can't say that about many (most?) human beings.  pets are great for therapy also for PTSD and in many nursing homes too.  take care,  Jack.===JACK:  Without looking it up, I think that it was Mark Twain who said, "If there are no dogs in Heaven, I don't want to go there."===SP:  i think you are right.  or maybe it was Soupy Sales:):):) ===JACK:  We are both wrong.  It was Will Rogers.  BTW, I looked it up, and there are over 100 Biblical names used for dogs...the most popular, Chloe.

  

FROM BLAZING OAKS:  We had several dogs while growing up. One had a litter of puppies which we loved, until they went to other homes!  One dog  "Roodles", nipped a guy I was dating at Augie on the ankle. when he came for me. The next week, he wrote Roodles a note, saying "Dear Roodles: I know you love Marilyn, but I like her a lot, too, and mean her NO HARM when I'm coming to pick her up for our next date on Friday.Please take pity on  me, and don't bite my ankle again!"  Needless to say, she was tied in the back yard when he came the next time! :-)===JACK:  Did you know that the dog featured on RCA's "His Master's Voice" was named, Nipper?  Our dog, Tiger, was friendly, but he did nip our babysitter once.  Luckily, her family didn't sue us.  Our first dog was a collie, named, Moonie...with one eye blue, and the other brown.

FROM SALON SUZY:  So true, love our Rosie===JACK:  I looked it up...Top name for female dog is Bella.  Rosie came in 8th...but #1 for you.

FROM NOVA SCOTIA FISH:  Young Joan Baez's "Old Blue" did it for me, not long after I lost my first dog.  H and I used to walk by the coffee house near Harvard Square where she had recently gotten her start. We got to hear her at Bethlehem, PA a couple of decades later.===JACK:  I liked her music, too... and I liked what she stood for.

FROM QUILTING CAROL:  I agree with you.  Dogs are awesome companions.  We love when our ‘grand puppies’ come for visits.  We have one standard poodle and a chocolate lab who would make great therapy dogs.  If you are having a bad day, they seem to know that all they need do is sit next to you with their head in your lap. Michael’s vizsla puppy can be attentive too, but she doesn’t seem to have the patience to stay for too long.  There is always a bird or bunny that seems to call her away.  They are all very special in their own way and we are glad they are a part of our lives and they’ve been great for their owners and their families as well. ===JACK:  Daughter Beth (and Ben) have just gotten TWO Great Dane female puppies, and their son, John (in Atlanta) has a Dutch Shepherd.

FROM SR IN SJ:  I'm sorry to say that I did not have such a friendship with a pet!  We had cats and dogs out on the farm but they were outside, helpful animals, I guess, rather than intimate friends! I loved reading about Shep and Pooh bear and Brer Rabbit, or horses but that is hardly the same, is it? ===JACK:  Reading about "pets" is the next best thing, and ...no buying of food...and picking up afterward.  Does St B's Rule allow for pets (even a goldfish)?

FROM HOMELESS:  I agree with the lad! He knew God created dogs to be something very special. Man's/ woman's best friend!===JACK:  I tend to think that "meanness" is something taught to dogs.  Mean owner =  mean dog." ===H:  Yes, good point. I tend to never think of dogs as mean, but they are out there, unfortunately. Kind of like people....?===JACK:  I don't think that people are born, "mean," ie: born as sinners.  I think that they born into a "mean" world and need examples of goodness in their life, lest they become "mean" like the world.

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