Happy Sunday! . . . Even during the Dog Days of Summer . . .

My Dahlias have been LOVING the Dog Days of Summer!

And, I've been loving my dahlias.

(-:

Thought this was a pretty cool pic of my morning pickin's today.

Awww, here's our sweetie now!

I am certainly one that can give testimony to the power of love and support an animal can give to humans always, but especially during time of hardship, struggle and pain. I've experienced it personally and have witnessed it with my children. It's been a heartbreak of mine over the last two years that while one of my older teen children who's been away from sweet Alli Dog these last two years, and has been having a hard time with life, hasn't been able to have his own dog to love on him and for him to love and care for it back, despite my passion in advocating for it. When divorce suddenly and surprisingly befell our family, and Alli came into our lives only a week later, at those times that I didn't want to get out of bed and the kids were gone...I had to go "walk the dog!" And, every time afterward, I was renewed and refreshed able to see clearer and and take on a day that seemed unimaginable. I give thanks to God that only five days after that first worst day of my life, the one where a knock on the door lead me to a stranger setting divorce papers on all my children's changing table that I'd just set outside to turn into a gardening work space (it ended up on the curb as garbage, wow...life!)....anyway, a quiet thought popped into my head just a few days into this . . . "Go, get a dog." Let me tell you, my last of five children just finished kindergarten, one entering high school, one entering middle school and our lives had just blown up, getting a dog was no where on my radar! Wow, and look what a blessing she's been to all of us!

So anyway . . . around here, weatherwise, we are most definitely in the Dog Days of Summer. But where exactly does that come from?

Now you know! (-:

I hear tomorrow might be our last big Dog Day with some relief coming on Tuesday. That'd be nice. 

Finally, I've been reading Galatians most recently in my reading the  "Bible in a Year" plan and have been struck this third year of reading the bible in a year, how incredibly well spoken and clear the Apostle Paul is in his writings here. I'd highly recommend taking this week to read through Galatians! And, just to note, it only takes about 10-15 minutes a day of reading to make your way through the entire bible in a year with these plans already designed on the Bible App. You can choose your own bible version on there and there is no commentary on the readings. What I've really liked being on my third year of complete reading now is noticing how certain verses, chapters or books of the bible will register with you each time. And again, if you miss a day, don't be hard on yourself, I missed a week with my summer travels to the Keweenaw and just slowly worked through the missed days over a week or so to catch up. There's no judgement or stress, you just do the best you can. Perhaps you'll consider trying this too? (-:

May God Bless Your Week to Come!