This was the bulletin I thought I’d never get to write!

Not that something all that amazing happened, it’s just I have the same problem Mike does these days. On the day before his new family addition arrived, we had one of our own – a new puppy. And it’s been rather chaotic! Lots of interruptions!

Now, those of you who know me know I already have three dogs. If you really know me you may recall I’ve owned 5 at once. But only one big dog, Smoky, and after 15 great years of love and loyalty he died this spring. My wife wanted a new “big dog” to replace him, something to keep the coyotes and fishers and hawks and whatever else from eating our littler h’orderve dogs.

And as luck would have it, down the street some mix puppies were for sale. We stopped in to “look” and of course brought one home. A Black Lab/Bull Mastiff mix. While our new pooch is the “runt” of the litter and easily the smallest of its siblings, it’s already double the size/weight of any of our other dogs. But what a little darling (yet my wife would still not go with Clementine!)

In any case, the new pup has that new dog “zip.” She chews on everything with that big mouth full of needle teeth. She wants to play with the old dogs and barks and prances about, overflowing with life and vinegar. She fetches sticks (to chew on) and chases balls (to chew on) and sleeps in her little bed (which she is going to quickly outgrow, but in the mean times chews on). Sometimes she just lays there on the carpet and chews the floor. She requires lots of attention and is very noisy/demanding. She needs self-discipline!

Yet she’s sweet, and I’ve seen her bring things to the other dogs. She is quick to be submissive – in spite of her size she knows there’s a lot to be said for older dogs who know the lay of the house. While she pesters the other dogs to play, she also knows when to back off and not push them too far – usually! She makes glorious mistakes which I get to clean up, but she’s brought excitement and wonderful confusion into our house.

I *guess* Mike could say a lot of the same things, especially when his is a bit older and running around terrorizing his other children, but I was thinking more on the spiritual side today. New converts come into our midst now and then, and they are likewise full of zeal and energy! They want to get into everything, often volunteering for teaching, preaching, just about anything they can. They sink their teeth into the word every chance they get, growing and growing. They are excited and pester the rest of us with questions and may say strange things in our classes, which can upset we “older” folks. Yet they are there when someone is moving, building, or simply needs help.

Occasionally my old dogs are a little jealous of the new one. They think it gets special attention, and it does. It needs extra discipline! But I’ve noticed that my dogs which usually just eat and sleep (a lot) now get a whole bunch of exercise. They have reclaimed old toys, just as we as older Christians are forced to restudy old thoughts which we once complacently considered “settled”. Funny how that is, and how we start to grow a renewed, re-energized interest in these things “for the puppy’s sake” we tell ourselves. Yet we all benefit greatly!

Someday soon, as much as my old dogs grump now, that new puppy will be a big dog. And who knows, a wolf may come looking hungrily at my pomers but see that now calm, disciplined, let’s-see-what-you’ve-got big dog in the midst of them and decide it’s not worth it. There are different kinds of wolves. Know what I mean?

Randy