“Are you serious?” I held my phone aloft, peering at the photo on the screen. I was at a stop light on my way home from running errands, anticipating the welcome from our brood of pups…three little monsters of various sizes and levels of energy who belong to us plus one overgrown, energetic boy belonging to our son who is temporarily home as he finishes his Masters Degree.

“No, but isn’t she pretty?” my husband responded. I had to agree, she certainly was.

Just a couple of days earlier, we had visited my in-laws in Texas and enjoyed the company of their beautiful Shiloh Shepherd, Baron. Throughout the weekend, we often mentioned how much Baron made us miss our Danny; the sweet, 120 pound German Shepherd who left us much too soon a few years ago. And here, out of nowhere, on my phone screen was a beautiful girl who looked an awful lot like Danny. So much so that it made my heart ache.

But we would be crazy to bring another dog home. That would make five in the house plus our Pyrenees who lives out back with the goats.

I tried to shake it off.

About an hour later, Kyle arrived home. I asked him about the dog, curious to know her story. She was a stray who had showed up at someone’s house. They took her to the vet and she was not microchipped. He estimated she is about a year old. They posted on social media, hoping to find the owner, with no response.

“He says she is really sweet,” Kyle said. I stood still, fighting the message my heart was sending. Kyle looked at me, eyes bright. “Are you wanting to go take a look at her?”

“I think I do,” I heard myself say.

The dog had been taken to the in-laws of the man who found her, friends of ours who happen to live near us. The photo had been sent to a few people, including Kyle, to hopefully find a home for her. Kyle made arrangements for us to meet her the next day. Our kids got wind of it and every one of them begged us to bring her home.

“We’ll see,” was our response. What if she didn’t gel with the other dogs, especially my son’s who is not exactly little?

Twenty four hours later, we pulled up to their house and I got out of the car. The dog was walking down the steps of their front porch and approached me as I knelt down. She was much smaller than I expected, and very thin. How long had she been fending for herself? How did she survive with so many coyotes in the area? That poor baby.

“Hey, sweet girl,” I purred as she cautiously drew near. I held out my hand to let her give it a sniff, but she bypassed the hand and was quickly nose-to-nose with me. After a slight pause she gave me a feather-soft lick on the chin.

And the rest is history.

Meet Charlotte Rose, aka “Charley.” All I can say is, she ’s perfect and we love her.

At first, she was incredibly timid. The other dogs did a lot of posturing (of course) and she was clearly stressed, so we had to be very careful to give her space to adjust. She only wanted to be near me or Kyle all the time. Especially Kyle. Once we got her home, she attached to him instantly. She had no desire for treats or toys, and didn’t seem to interested in food. I honestly don’t think she knew what to do with them.

But all that has changed. Look at our girl now!

It took a few days, but the little dogs have figured out she could possibly smash them so it is best not to get tangled up under her…excerpt for Chance. Bless him. He is not the brightest lightbulb on the porch.

Charley has been ours for a month, now, and it feels amazingly normal for her to be here. She has brought a quiet calm to our home that we didn’t know we needed.

Thank you, Father, for Charley Rose 🙂

1 John 4:19 says, “We love because he first love us,” yet we often get it totally backwards. We think we have to earn God’s love. Clean up. Have perfect theology. Know all the answers. We falsely believe God is angry by default, but that could not be further from the truth. God loves us because he made us in his image and he cannot, will not, reject his own. We don’t have to strive, but we get to participate in the work he is doing. Obedience is the natural result of a healthy relationship with our Good Father, not the means by which we earn his love. The love was always there. That is good news.

The peonies are blooming, and I had the privilege of snipping one for a precious friend to carry when she married the love of her life as the sun sank low behind our pond.

What a gift to witness the moment the Holy Spirit brought together two people who love Him and made them one! The day could not have been more perfect!

Of course I have to start with the obvious…

I was watering my garden the other day…because Tennessee is in a drought. In April, y’all. We have lived here almost 20 years and this has never happened. In fact, April is usually a mud-fest. Holy chemtrails, Batman!

But I digress.

The water was pouring out of that hose and I had a sudden impulse to guzzle it like when I was a kid. So I did.

Yes, I know all about the chemicals that can leach from the hose or whatever. But I am part of the generation that was raised on “hosewater and neglect,” and we are just fine.

1. When I turned 13, I got the Thriller album for my birthday. From that moment on I was obsessed with Michael Jackson. His music defined my middle and high school years. Every song has a memory attached. Well, unless you have been in a sound-proof chamber this week, the biopic about Michael Jackson, Michael, opens this week! We have tickets to see it opening night (Friday, April 24th) at an IMAX in Nashville with several friends and to say I am excited is a massive understatement! I’ve been preparing by watching and listening to this playlist on YouTube. And I have a white glove and black sequined jacket hanging in my closet. Ready. For. This.

   

2. I’m reading Theo of Golden by Allen Levi for the second time. It’s that good. In fact, I believe it is one of the best books I have ever read.

3. I mentioned the peony I cut for my friend’s wedding earlier. Here are more that have graced my gardens this week. SO BEAUTIFUL.

4. I watched the documentary Trust Me: The False Prophet on Netflix. An entire community of women is brainwashed by a predator and his cronies who misuse scripture to gain power and control. The reality of this, and the fact that it still goes on, is terrifying. (If you have suffered abuse, this series may not be for you.) After watching it, I want to remind everyone to read your Bible for yourself. Trust the Spirit’s leading. Don’t rely on any leader or “prophet” to tell you what God says. You are perfectly capable of hearing from the Lord, yourself. You may not end up in a cult full of brainwashed women, but false teachers and prophets will mess you up. (You might want to reread the section, Dear Beloved, above!)

4. I’m drinking Moment botanical sodas. They are yummy and much healthier than the Diet stuff I’ve been addicted to for years. Pricey? Yeah, but better for my brain than Aspartame.

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