Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
If You wish for to Walk on Water You have Got to Get out of the Boat
John Forsberg is both a psychologist and a church community Pastor. He gives excellent practical advice on how to move out of our comfort zone and start really living life to the full - fulfilling our innermost dreams, heart's desires and life purpose. The journey to personal fulfillment starts here, but there is a price to pay! - A certain amount of risk, fear and even terror may be called for, but Or berg gives some fine advice on how to overcome our anxiety and fears.
The book is witty, well-laced with good humor and full of real-life present day stories to inspire us, as well as drawing on the symbolism of the well-known Gospel story of St. Peter walking on water (and also eventually failing) before he can return to the disciples storm tossed boat, which then becomes calm and safe under the direction of his teacher, Jesus Christ.
Although John Or berg writes from a religious Christian perspective, the book is full of helpful insights and tips which can be helpful to anyone, regardless of their creed or religion or even in the absence of any religious belief.
Book Description
In the six sessions in this curriculum based on the award-winning author's book, Or berg teaches participants the skills essential to "water-walking" in faith with God: discerning God’s call, transcending fear, risking faith, managing failure, and trusting God. The curriculum kit includes a leader's guide, a participant's guide, a DVD video, a VHS video, and a hardcover edition of the book.
Winner of the 2002 Christianity Today Book Award!
You’re One Step Away from the Adventure of Your Life
Deep within you lies the same faith and longing that sent Peter walking across the wind-swept Sea of Galilee toward Jesus. In what ways is the Lord telling you, as he did Peter, "Come"?
John Or berg invites you to consider the incredible potential that awaits you outside your comfort zone. Out on the risky waters of faith, Jesus is waiting to meet you in ways that will change you forever, deepening your character and your trust in God. The experience is terrifying. It’s thrilling beyond belief. It’s everything you’d expect of someone worthy to be called Lord.
The choice is yours to know him as only a water-walker can, aligning yourself with God’s purpose for your life in the process. There’s just one requirement: If You Want to Walk on Water, You’ve Got to Get Out of the Boat.
The book is witty, well-laced with good humor and full of real-life present day stories to inspire us, as well as drawing on the symbolism of the well-known Gospel story of St. Peter walking on water (and also eventually failing) before he can return to the disciples storm tossed boat, which then becomes calm and safe under the direction of his teacher, Jesus Christ.
Although John Or berg writes from a religious Christian perspective, the book is full of helpful insights and tips which can be helpful to anyone, regardless of their creed or religion or even in the absence of any religious belief.
Book Description
In the six sessions in this curriculum based on the award-winning author's book, Or berg teaches participants the skills essential to "water-walking" in faith with God: discerning God’s call, transcending fear, risking faith, managing failure, and trusting God. The curriculum kit includes a leader's guide, a participant's guide, a DVD video, a VHS video, and a hardcover edition of the book.
Winner of the 2002 Christianity Today Book Award!
You’re One Step Away from the Adventure of Your Life
Deep within you lies the same faith and longing that sent Peter walking across the wind-swept Sea of Galilee toward Jesus. In what ways is the Lord telling you, as he did Peter, "Come"?
John Or berg invites you to consider the incredible potential that awaits you outside your comfort zone. Out on the risky waters of faith, Jesus is waiting to meet you in ways that will change you forever, deepening your character and your trust in God. The experience is terrifying. It’s thrilling beyond belief. It’s everything you’d expect of someone worthy to be called Lord.
The choice is yours to know him as only a water-walker can, aligning yourself with God’s purpose for your life in the process. There’s just one requirement: If You Want to Walk on Water, You’ve Got to Get Out of the Boat.
Get Out Of The Boat
The story of Jesus jogging on the water occurs in of the gospels. But it is only in Matthew that they have the addition of the part about Peter asking Jesus to call him & Peters is later swimming lesson.
Most of the sermons I've heard on the p`ssage about Jesus jogging on water have focused on Peter, who finds himself sinking in to stormy seas when they begins to doubt Jesus. But if they only focus on the moment that Peter sinks, they will have missed the most brilliant & promising part of the story. They can focus on Peter sinking if they need to, & it looks like most of the church does. But that is not the whole story. I need to encourage us to put the failure aside for a time & look at the promise.
Peters is faith may have been weak, but it was much stronger than the remainder of the bunch. Peter had boldness. All of the disciples got safely to the other shore, but only Peter walked on water. How much they have missed if they only keep in mind that Peter sank. This is a passage of promise: In the event you reply in faith to the call of God, you can walk on water. The lesson? In the event you need to walk on the water, you’ve got to get out of the boat.
Peter walks on the water. They walk on the water like Jesus. They sink after a few steps, yes. But for a brief moment, Peter walked on water. Peter showed great faith in getting out of the boat & going to Jesus. The reason they sinks is not because it was wrong to get out of the boat. Peter only sinks when that faith waivers. The greatest failure in this story is not Peter but the remainder of the disciples, who sat huddled in the boat, still wondering in the event that they were seeing a ghost.
They speak about keen to work miracles, keen to do great things for Christ. But yet they don’t need to compromise the comfort & safety of the boat. It can’t happen. Miracles, by definition, are risky--they defy what they think to be the usual order of things. They can’t walk on water without getting out of the boat, without taking the risk.
Miracles are not a result of practical living & common sense. Miracles make no sense at all. In fact, none of our faith makes sense to the parents still sitting in the boat. Children born to virgins don’t make sense. Empty tombs don’t make sense. Choosing death in order to live doesn’t make sense. Ruling by serving doesn’t make sense. Being first by bringing up the rear doesn’t make sense. & it sure doesn’t make sense to step out of a amazingly nice boat at the height of a storm.
Now, I don’t need to tell you that New England folks are not known for risk taking. My father is ancestors came from Scotland & were much more likely to bury their talent than invest it in dicey endeavors. My mother is relatives were all Swamp Yankee fishermen who had horse sense to stay in the boat in the work of a storm. So I need to be clear before I go much farther, that I am not speaking about taking risks for the sake of adventure. That was the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness when Devil tried to get him to jump off the temple & have the angel’s dash to his rescue. You are not going to find me bungee leaping, cliff diving, participating in extreme sports, or taking any holiday without a better than 50/50 shot at coming home again. This is not about putting what God has given to us in jeopardy as an invitation for God to strut His stuff.
But there stands Jesus, outside the boat, making no sense by standing on top of water that ought to be sending him to Davy Jones Locker. They don’t come to us in the way they would expect...growing up in another boat. He is jogging on the water. & in lieu of leaping in to the boat with us & saying, How is it going, guys? They stops outside of the boat, standing on the water, & calls us to come. Jesus doesn’t chide the others for staying in the boat, but later it is Peter to whom Jesus says, you are the rock on which I will build my church. The church is founded on the who dared to get out of the boat.
Peter does take a fabulous risk in getting out of a boat on a dark & stormy night. But the key here is, they doesn’t put out the first toe until Jesus has said to him, Come. If Jesus is not anywhere near our boat, they would be crazy to get out & try to walk on water. They can’t do that on our own. But when God appears on the scene, new possibilities open before us & they listen for the guidance of God. & if God says it is OK, you can take that to the bank. They are not called to be reckless, but they are called to trust.
The issue is--our world does not live by trust. Our watchwords today are words like protection, security, and safe. Whether it is the government, law enforcement, health care, social programs or financial investment they listen to those words as organizations explain their goals & objectives. They must protect our children, make sure social security funding is protected; they have safe schools & need to guard our investments. They have a whole branch of government now dedicated to Homeland Security. & there is nothing wrong with any of that. But when they let our concern for safety & security spill over in to our faith, our faith vanishes & they sink in to the sea.
Faith means nothing if it does not mean risk. Faith & trust go hand in hand, & that means so do faith & risk because trust is a dicey business. You can tell me that you trust me to hold your money until you’re blue in the face, but until you have actually put the money in to my hands, you haven’t trusted. It is the same with faith. You can say, Oh, I have faith in God all you need, but until you get out of the boat, it is only a lot hot air.
There is nothing more important than God, they say. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens they quote. With God all things are feasible. They shout it again & again as they sit comfortably in our boats, calling the ones who talk of getting out & they look at those who do get out of the boat & they condemn their lack of faith in the event that they start to sink, unaware that even as they sink to the bottom of the sea, their faith is greater than ours. They have no business claiming they have any faith whatsoever until they have been willing to get out of the boat when Jesus calls.
As each area of your church leadership examines their own role in making disciples, I invite you to think about how Jesus might be calling you, both individually & as a church, to get out of the boat. I understand that as a church you have wrestled with the issue of whether or not to have a church building of your own. Getting out of the boat might mean a financial leap to acquire property as well as a building. But it also might mean braving the road less traveled & following the example of lots of church buildings, both little & large, who do highly successful ministry free of the constraints & costs of property. God might be calling you to either possibility. It is your job to pray & listen for God is voice. It is only when it is Jesus calling you out of the boat that you can successfully walk on water. Otherwise it is another hare-brained idea & you’ll sink like a rock.
The call of God to all of us is the same now as it ever was, Go & make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Sister & of the Son & of the Holy Spirit, & teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. That commission is represented in the story we’ve read, which begins with the note that the disciples (& later Jesus with them) are headed to the other side of the lake. Back in March I was one time in Israel & I learned there that the other side of the Sea of Galilee is in Gentile territory. Every time that Jesus goes to the other side of the lake, they is going to be with Gentiles. The church exists to make disciples & in the day they forget that they cease to be a church & become a cruise liner, trying to make sure that the passengers are comfortable & have a nice time.
Perhaps Jesus is standing there outside the boat & calling to you, personally. On Easter Sunday I finally stepped out of the comfortable boat of pastoral ministry & became the Executive Director of the Massachusetts Bible Society. It was an brilliantly scary step, but so far, I am still on top of the water. Perhaps God is calling you to a brand spanking new ministry within the church, or a brand spanking new job, or a brand spanking new attitude. I don't like it when Jesus asks me to risk a brand spanking new attitude. I like my elderly ones! Perhaps God is calling you to better stewardship of your time or your money or the environment. Stewardship always seems dicey because they think that if they give more there won’t be left for ourselves, but I have found that when God directs me to give, there is always left over.
Perhaps the kind of risk you are called to has more to do with the way you do ministry than where you do ministry. Would someone in Shrews bury feel comfortable jogging in these doors? Sometimes they think they welcome all people but have subtle clues about who is acceptable & who is not. The new motto of the Massachusetts Bible Society is one book, lots of voices. That represents the lots of voices of the Biblical writers, the lots of voices they write about, the lots of voices they refused to listen to & the lots of voices they regularly ignore or shut out. It represents the lots of voices that interpret Scripture as well as the lots of ways the biblical tales are told the voices of drama, music, graphic art, poetry & fiction. I think it is helpful for every church to think about what voices might not be getting the hearing they deserve.
To this day I don’t know how they did it, but my brother satisfied my sister to try tithing for month. At the finish of the month, they were in the black. My sister went over the books again & again. Their income had not changed. They gave more away. & they had eliminated the red ink. They was up all night. Finally, somewhere around 3-4 in the morning, they called a faith-filled man at our church, waking him from sleep, saying I need what you have. His heart was changed, his life was changed, our relatives were changed. In the event you need to walk on the water, you’ve got to get out of the boat.
Actually, the reality of God is supply is what made a Christian out of my sister. Back in the late 70 is they were not making ends meet as relatives. My brother ran the finances & they & my sister sat down to speak about it. I think they ought to start tithing, they said, & my sister looked at her like they had heads. No, they explained, the issue is that they have little money, not much. Giving more to the church will make our issues worse.
I am not to bang people on the head with Bibles or threaten those made in God is picture with the fires of hell. But I am who believes that there is no better way to live life than with God, & my heart breaks for those who haven’t figured that out yet. To make disciples is my calling; it is also the calling of this church & of every church that bears the name of Jesus Christ. In the event you need to walk on the water, you’ve got to get out of the boat.
Perhaps God is calling you to take what lots of in New England feel is the scariest step of all to share your faith with someone else. Has God ever helped you? Has prayer ever made life a little more bearable? Have you ever found actual comfort in your faith? This week, actual people here in Shrews bury & in the surrounding towns will get scary calls from their doctors. Some will learn they’ve lost a job, some might recognize their relatives is breaking up or might recognize the early signs of Alzheimer are in themselves or a loved. Some might ignore their children or exchange hurtful words with a mate & wonder how to maje it right. Is it fair to keep that excellent news hidden inside church walls & hope that whoever needs it will happen to wander in?
A quote I like says, a ship in a harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for. God calls us to set sail. & one time we’re out on the raging sea, they see God & some new possibilities. Jesus is on the water & bids us come. Do they dare? God is patient with us when they can’t appear to leave the comfort of the boat. But the church was built on Peter, not the others. Are you able to listen to the voice of Jesus saying, Come? In the event you need to walk on the water, you’ve got to get out of the boat. Amen.
Most of the sermons I've heard on the p`ssage about Jesus jogging on water have focused on Peter, who finds himself sinking in to stormy seas when they begins to doubt Jesus. But if they only focus on the moment that Peter sinks, they will have missed the most brilliant & promising part of the story. They can focus on Peter sinking if they need to, & it looks like most of the church does. But that is not the whole story. I need to encourage us to put the failure aside for a time & look at the promise.
Peters is faith may have been weak, but it was much stronger than the remainder of the bunch. Peter had boldness. All of the disciples got safely to the other shore, but only Peter walked on water. How much they have missed if they only keep in mind that Peter sank. This is a passage of promise: In the event you reply in faith to the call of God, you can walk on water. The lesson? In the event you need to walk on the water, you’ve got to get out of the boat.
Peter walks on the water. They walk on the water like Jesus. They sink after a few steps, yes. But for a brief moment, Peter walked on water. Peter showed great faith in getting out of the boat & going to Jesus. The reason they sinks is not because it was wrong to get out of the boat. Peter only sinks when that faith waivers. The greatest failure in this story is not Peter but the remainder of the disciples, who sat huddled in the boat, still wondering in the event that they were seeing a ghost.
They speak about keen to work miracles, keen to do great things for Christ. But yet they don’t need to compromise the comfort & safety of the boat. It can’t happen. Miracles, by definition, are risky--they defy what they think to be the usual order of things. They can’t walk on water without getting out of the boat, without taking the risk.
Miracles are not a result of practical living & common sense. Miracles make no sense at all. In fact, none of our faith makes sense to the parents still sitting in the boat. Children born to virgins don’t make sense. Empty tombs don’t make sense. Choosing death in order to live doesn’t make sense. Ruling by serving doesn’t make sense. Being first by bringing up the rear doesn’t make sense. & it sure doesn’t make sense to step out of a amazingly nice boat at the height of a storm.
Now, I don’t need to tell you that New England folks are not known for risk taking. My father is ancestors came from Scotland & were much more likely to bury their talent than invest it in dicey endeavors. My mother is relatives were all Swamp Yankee fishermen who had horse sense to stay in the boat in the work of a storm. So I need to be clear before I go much farther, that I am not speaking about taking risks for the sake of adventure. That was the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness when Devil tried to get him to jump off the temple & have the angel’s dash to his rescue. You are not going to find me bungee leaping, cliff diving, participating in extreme sports, or taking any holiday without a better than 50/50 shot at coming home again. This is not about putting what God has given to us in jeopardy as an invitation for God to strut His stuff.
But there stands Jesus, outside the boat, making no sense by standing on top of water that ought to be sending him to Davy Jones Locker. They don’t come to us in the way they would expect...growing up in another boat. He is jogging on the water. & in lieu of leaping in to the boat with us & saying, How is it going, guys? They stops outside of the boat, standing on the water, & calls us to come. Jesus doesn’t chide the others for staying in the boat, but later it is Peter to whom Jesus says, you are the rock on which I will build my church. The church is founded on the who dared to get out of the boat.
Peter does take a fabulous risk in getting out of a boat on a dark & stormy night. But the key here is, they doesn’t put out the first toe until Jesus has said to him, Come. If Jesus is not anywhere near our boat, they would be crazy to get out & try to walk on water. They can’t do that on our own. But when God appears on the scene, new possibilities open before us & they listen for the guidance of God. & if God says it is OK, you can take that to the bank. They are not called to be reckless, but they are called to trust.
The issue is--our world does not live by trust. Our watchwords today are words like protection, security, and safe. Whether it is the government, law enforcement, health care, social programs or financial investment they listen to those words as organizations explain their goals & objectives. They must protect our children, make sure social security funding is protected; they have safe schools & need to guard our investments. They have a whole branch of government now dedicated to Homeland Security. & there is nothing wrong with any of that. But when they let our concern for safety & security spill over in to our faith, our faith vanishes & they sink in to the sea.
Faith means nothing if it does not mean risk. Faith & trust go hand in hand, & that means so do faith & risk because trust is a dicey business. You can tell me that you trust me to hold your money until you’re blue in the face, but until you have actually put the money in to my hands, you haven’t trusted. It is the same with faith. You can say, Oh, I have faith in God all you need, but until you get out of the boat, it is only a lot hot air.
There is nothing more important than God, they say. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens they quote. With God all things are feasible. They shout it again & again as they sit comfortably in our boats, calling the ones who talk of getting out & they look at those who do get out of the boat & they condemn their lack of faith in the event that they start to sink, unaware that even as they sink to the bottom of the sea, their faith is greater than ours. They have no business claiming they have any faith whatsoever until they have been willing to get out of the boat when Jesus calls.
As each area of your church leadership examines their own role in making disciples, I invite you to think about how Jesus might be calling you, both individually & as a church, to get out of the boat. I understand that as a church you have wrestled with the issue of whether or not to have a church building of your own. Getting out of the boat might mean a financial leap to acquire property as well as a building. But it also might mean braving the road less traveled & following the example of lots of church buildings, both little & large, who do highly successful ministry free of the constraints & costs of property. God might be calling you to either possibility. It is your job to pray & listen for God is voice. It is only when it is Jesus calling you out of the boat that you can successfully walk on water. Otherwise it is another hare-brained idea & you’ll sink like a rock.
The call of God to all of us is the same now as it ever was, Go & make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Sister & of the Son & of the Holy Spirit, & teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. That commission is represented in the story we’ve read, which begins with the note that the disciples (& later Jesus with them) are headed to the other side of the lake. Back in March I was one time in Israel & I learned there that the other side of the Sea of Galilee is in Gentile territory. Every time that Jesus goes to the other side of the lake, they is going to be with Gentiles. The church exists to make disciples & in the day they forget that they cease to be a church & become a cruise liner, trying to make sure that the passengers are comfortable & have a nice time.
Perhaps Jesus is standing there outside the boat & calling to you, personally. On Easter Sunday I finally stepped out of the comfortable boat of pastoral ministry & became the Executive Director of the Massachusetts Bible Society. It was an brilliantly scary step, but so far, I am still on top of the water. Perhaps God is calling you to a brand spanking new ministry within the church, or a brand spanking new job, or a brand spanking new attitude. I don't like it when Jesus asks me to risk a brand spanking new attitude. I like my elderly ones! Perhaps God is calling you to better stewardship of your time or your money or the environment. Stewardship always seems dicey because they think that if they give more there won’t be left for ourselves, but I have found that when God directs me to give, there is always left over.
Perhaps the kind of risk you are called to has more to do with the way you do ministry than where you do ministry. Would someone in Shrews bury feel comfortable jogging in these doors? Sometimes they think they welcome all people but have subtle clues about who is acceptable & who is not. The new motto of the Massachusetts Bible Society is one book, lots of voices. That represents the lots of voices of the Biblical writers, the lots of voices they write about, the lots of voices they refused to listen to & the lots of voices they regularly ignore or shut out. It represents the lots of voices that interpret Scripture as well as the lots of ways the biblical tales are told the voices of drama, music, graphic art, poetry & fiction. I think it is helpful for every church to think about what voices might not be getting the hearing they deserve.
To this day I don’t know how they did it, but my brother satisfied my sister to try tithing for month. At the finish of the month, they were in the black. My sister went over the books again & again. Their income had not changed. They gave more away. & they had eliminated the red ink. They was up all night. Finally, somewhere around 3-4 in the morning, they called a faith-filled man at our church, waking him from sleep, saying I need what you have. His heart was changed, his life was changed, our relatives were changed. In the event you need to walk on the water, you’ve got to get out of the boat.
Actually, the reality of God is supply is what made a Christian out of my sister. Back in the late 70 is they were not making ends meet as relatives. My brother ran the finances & they & my sister sat down to speak about it. I think they ought to start tithing, they said, & my sister looked at her like they had heads. No, they explained, the issue is that they have little money, not much. Giving more to the church will make our issues worse.
I am not to bang people on the head with Bibles or threaten those made in God is picture with the fires of hell. But I am who believes that there is no better way to live life than with God, & my heart breaks for those who haven’t figured that out yet. To make disciples is my calling; it is also the calling of this church & of every church that bears the name of Jesus Christ. In the event you need to walk on the water, you’ve got to get out of the boat.
Perhaps God is calling you to take what lots of in New England feel is the scariest step of all to share your faith with someone else. Has God ever helped you? Has prayer ever made life a little more bearable? Have you ever found actual comfort in your faith? This week, actual people here in Shrews bury & in the surrounding towns will get scary calls from their doctors. Some will learn they’ve lost a job, some might recognize their relatives is breaking up or might recognize the early signs of Alzheimer are in themselves or a loved. Some might ignore their children or exchange hurtful words with a mate & wonder how to maje it right. Is it fair to keep that excellent news hidden inside church walls & hope that whoever needs it will happen to wander in?
A quote I like says, a ship in a harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for. God calls us to set sail. & one time we’re out on the raging sea, they see God & some new possibilities. Jesus is on the water & bids us come. Do they dare? God is patient with us when they can’t appear to leave the comfort of the boat. But the church was built on Peter, not the others. Are you able to listen to the voice of Jesus saying, Come? In the event you need to walk on the water, you’ve got to get out of the boat. Amen.
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Happy Mother’s Day
She was there at the beginning
When the world was new to you -
She was there to turn to happy times
Those when, you were hurt or blue.
She was there to listen to your thoughts
And when you asked, to give advice -
She was there to tell you, "Those don't match!"
Or, "Hon, you sure look nice."
She was there with you at nighttime
To help you say your prayers _
She was there to tell you, "It's alright."
When you had a dream that scares.
She was there at morning time
To get you up and out of bed -
She was there when you didn't feel good (or did)
To say, "You'd best stay home, instead."
She was there when you were hungry
And when you had those dirty clothes -
She was there when you needed her
(How she knew? Only heaven knows.)
She was there at the beginning
And she'll be there your whole life through -
She'll be there in your mind and heart
Just like a mother is supposed to do.
Author Unknown
My Mom
As Beautiful as a rose may be
It can never compare to my mom.
There is a “Special “ place in my heart
that only she can fill.
My mom has always been there for me.
She believed in me, when no one else did.
There are times when I thought I would loose her.
I am very thankful and fortunate to have her still.
I thank God for giving me such a wonderful Gift.
If you read this mom, just know that I love you
and I thank you for being my mom.
Happy Mother’s Day Mom
All my Love Dianne
Written by Dianne © dsphotocats
Mom at my son’s Wedding /10
I want to wish you all a “Happy Mother’s Day”
Sincerely Dianne :)
the way it's always been...
the way it's always been © margaret griswold-scheiding
there is no way to know
how many nights she spent
wide awake and listening
as i slept warm with fever
fitful and restless
how many days she spent
worrying and wondering
pondering uncertain futures
hoping only for the best
knowing nothing’s guaranteed
when she could not see me
did she wonder and worry
imagine danger in the shadows
or were her thoughts serene
trusting and steady
i think i understand in part
for I worry after my own
wonder and hope for the best
know there are still no guarantees
and the world is no easier
perhaps this is the way it must be
the way it’s been from the beginning
a mother’s worries and wonderings
are seldom realized and her mind knows
but her heart never really does
there is no way to know
how many nights she spent
wide awake and listening
as i slept warm with fever
fitful and restless
how many days she spent
worrying and wondering
pondering uncertain futures
hoping only for the best
knowing nothing’s guaranteed
when she could not see me
did she wonder and worry
imagine danger in the shadows
or were her thoughts serene
trusting and steady
i think i understand in part
for I worry after my own
wonder and hope for the best
know there are still no guarantees
and the world is no easier
perhaps this is the way it must be
the way it’s been from the beginning
a mother’s worries and wonderings
are seldom realized and her mind knows
but her heart never really does
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
My Girl….
My heartfelt thanks to all who have been asking about My Girl, I have the saddest of news to report, in that we had to take her to the PDSA yesterday, as an emergency it being a Bank Holiday, and they checked her over and found her kidneys had almost failed completely. It was time to say goodbye to my beautiful, brave girl and we did, my ex and I, with tears and heavy hearts as they gave her the final injection. We brought her body back to her garden and she is now buried behind the Yew tree where she loved to sniff and play.
We are in total shock and disbelief but we knew the time had come to let her go, as there was no doubt she was in pain and there was no way back. For the past week we had been trying to help her regain her appetite, feeding her everything tasty we could think of, but to no avail. Tears have been shed by the bucket load and are not far away every minute I think of her, and I want to thank Arlene especially for the wonderful painting she did of My Bess which I have been staring at and remembering Bess as she was, bright as a button and forever playful.
Pen
Monday, May 2, 2011
Western Tanager Heartbreak
I am crushed and can't shake off the heartbreak. I know how stupid this is going to sound to some of you but I can't help my feelings. The last couple days I've noticed a Western Tanager in our backyard. These birds are not a common visitor on our property and it's a treat to see them. I've been enjoying his visits to the oranges I put out for the Orioles. In retrospect, I noticed this bird was a little on the slow side but hadn't given it much thought. Perhaps it was already sick when my Emma (one of our cats) caught it and brought it in the house. I spotted it on the floor of our living room and her watching it when I came back through the room. She's a cat ... her brain is wired that way and I know it's not her fault. I know the consequences of having indoor outdoor cats. I don't need anyone giving me a noodle lashing here. We have a outdoor Lab that will catch and kill birds and rabbits. I don't like that either. But I know she can't help it .. her brain is wired that way too. I'm not getting rid of our pets. They are my babies. Most of you will understand my feelings here.
I picked the Tanager up (gloves on) and let it outside. It could only 'hop fly'. I just didn't have the heart to leave this thing on the ground so I put it in one of our unused bird boxes in the front yard. I didn't know what else to do. I searched on the net and found our nearest "Wild Animal Rehabilitation Center" which is in Tucson. Not really all that close. I called the number and got a hold of a woman. She really couldn't help me and in fact, made me feel worse than I already did by making me feel bad for having cats. Perhaps I had caught her at a bad time but I didn't feel any sympathy or any real kindness from her. I left the bird in the box and felt horrible for the poor thing. It got pretty cold last night and that killed me too. While in bed I thought to myself that if it was still alive .. I would put it in our cat carrier and bring it in the house. I should have just done that to begin with but I hadn't thought about it until I was already in bed. It WAS alive when I went back to the box this morning. Head tucked into the wings. So I went to the shed and prepared the cat carrier. I put a soft fuzzy pillow cover on the bottom of the carrier. I lined a shoe box with a soft dish towel and placed the bird in the box and put the box inside the cat carrier. I placed some water, seeds and half an orange inside the carrier. Then I put the whole carrier in our bath tub and closed the door to keep the cats away from it. An hour and a half later it passed. What a heart break. I just wish I didn't get so attached and so emotional. It's one thing to lose a close relative ... but losing a wild bird shouldn't do this to me! ugh. Below are pictures I had taken of the bird .. before all this happened. More pictures here .. http://www.facebook.com/media/set/fbx/set=a.2025771089754.125238.1408339345
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