| "If anyone would come after me, he must deny | | | | essential oils (which by the way still are |
| himself and take up his cross and follow me. | | | | used extensively in that part of the world |
| For whoever wants to save his life will lose | | | | for their healing benefits and fast growing |
| it, but whoever loses his life for me and for | | | | here in the USA) mixed with most likely olive |
| the gospel will save it. What good is it for | | | | oil. The oils served another purpose too. |
| a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit | | | | Sheep are goofy and get angry with each other |
| his soul?" Mark 8: 34-36, NIVThis has been a | | | | over anything (again like us). When they did |
| long arduous summer and yet so fully alive | | | | get angry, they'd go charging into each other |
| with all the possibilites that God has shown | | | | to butt heads so hard that they could kill |
| me. I'm fast approaching the nearly finished | | | | each other. With the oil on their heads, it |
| task of co-authoring a book on natural dog | | | | would help them to skid off each other |
| health with a holistic veterinarian, launched | | | | keeping them from killing each other.Yep, I'm |
| out a new product line with Saving Grace | | | | getting to the pet business with Dee and the |
| Enterprises, and ramping up for an online | | | | "serious stuff". So for his own protection |
| conference with veterinarians, doctors, etc., | | | | the shepard would carry a big leather poncho |
| to help educate on stopping a superbug staph | | | | he would wear during inclement weather and |
| infection. Now this all sounds kind of | | | | also use as a "pup tent" of sorts to sleep |
| serious right? Well not according to what God | | | | in. So we've got Dee's leather products and |
| has been telling me all week!Last Sunday in | | | | my essential oils from the pet business. |
| service, our pastor had a very interesting | | | | Hmmm. Leather was the Shepard's protection. |
| sermon on Psalm 23 as we closed out a series | | | | Oil throughout the Bible is representative of |
| on The Godward Heart. We've all heard and | | | | the Holy Spirit. He uses animals as examples |
| read that psalm since we were children most | | | | of us. Is anyone else "seeing" this? God will |
| likely, no matter which Christian religion we | | | | definitely use whatever, wherever, whomever |
| are. However, I've not ever heard it | | | | for His purpose and glory if we just get the |
| presented like this and that is most likely | | | | heck out of the way. Be relieved of ourselves |
| why it resonated so loudly with me. Let me do | | | | so that Jesus can reign and work. He will |
| my usual roundabout way of getting to the | | | | protect us and He will provide for us.Here |
| point here...Psalm 23 is all about the | | | | was what was so funny to me when our pastor |
| Shepard and His sheep, right? Understanding | | | | got to the Three Points of Application |
| what a shepard's duty was and how he went | | | | part:1. Because the Shepard is in control, I |
| about it in Jesus' day is what got my | | | | dont have to take myself so seriously. It's |
| attention. Anyone who has read my articles | | | | ALL about Him. This does not mean to not take |
| here know that I am not only a pet lover but | | | | ISSUES in the world seriously because we |
| my business is a business in natural pet | | | | should. It means to not take OURSELVES so |
| care. When our pastor started explaining how | | | | seriously. If we do keep taking ourselves so |
| a shepard cares for his sheep and what tools | | | | seriously, then that is really internalized |
| he uses, I felt like God was sitting next to | | | | pride and wrong thinking rooted in the |
| me and whispering in my ear and it sent | | | | inability to surrender.2. Because the Shepard |
| shivers up my spine in a most delightful | | | | cares, I can release my burdens to Him. |
| way!I've wondered for a long time how God | | | | Matthew 11:28, 1 Peter 5:7.3. Because the |
| would use me in a natural pet care business. | | | | Shepard is qualified, I can trust Him to |
| Then He brought me together with Dee Kreidel | | | | guide my life.God told me in no uncertain |
| and Saving Grace Enterprises to create our | | | | terms not only WHAT I'm supposed to be doing |
| new product line in custom hand-tooled | | | | but also WHY, and HOW it all tied in with WHO |
| leather collars, leashes and journals. Huh I | | | | He is. What He did not tell me was WHEN. |
| said? How does that go with natural pet care | | | | Leave it to Him to keep tempering and |
| Lord? I got an interesting answer Sunday AND | | | | teaching as He goes about His purpose.On |
| one that told me not to take myself so | | | | Tuesday or Wednesday after this riveting |
| seriously. I'll get to all that in a bit.The | | | | sermon on Sunday, John Fischer of a Purpose |
| shepard had a staff (we all know that) that | | | | Driven Life wrote this in his devotional |
| was about 5 or 6 ft tall I believe our pastor | | | | Acquittal by Penguin the following |
| said. It had the hook at the end we all know | | | | paragraph:"This is not to say that any |
| about and that was to keep sheep gathered in | | | | behavior in the natural kingdom legitimizes |
| and not wandering. Sound familiar? Ever | | | | corresponding activity among human beings, |
| wonder why God refers to us as sheep? It's | | | | but I do believe God has given us animals to |
| not a flattering statement because they are | | | | mirror human behavior, and help us see |
| not the brightest creatures in creation, and | | | | ourselves in another light and not take |
| they need constant tending and supervision. | | | | ourselves or our roles so seriously. " |
| The shepard also carried a baton about the | | | | (italics mine)Hey, do you think God is trying |
| size of what our police officers carry today. | | | | to tell me something? So then I was listening |
| He would use that to fend off attacking | | | | to some contemporary Christian music on |
| predators. He also used it for something a | | | | Thursday while doing my housework. I was |
| bit more harsh.If one sheep was constantly | | | | playing Jennifer Knapp's CD, Lay it Down, and |
| wandering off and not learning to stay with | | | | the song "Into You" came on. The words in the |
| the herd, the shepard would use the baton to | | | | chorus "relieve me of myself, bring me into |
| break one or two of this sheep's legs and | | | | You" just stuck out like a sore thumb and |
| then immediately set them. Then he'd carry | | | | I've listened to that song a multitude of |
| that sheep around his neck until he was fully | | | | times. I KNOW God was telling me to take a |
| healed. The purpose? For the sheep to become | | | | chill pill, lay it down, trust Him, don't |
| dependent upon the shepard for all its needs | | | | take myself so seriously, He has a purpose |
| and to bond fully with him. Again, God does | | | | for the work I'm doing so allow Him to work, |
| the same to His children.Another interesting | | | | be relieved of myself, depend on Him and just |
| thing the shepard would do is to put oil on | | | | enjoy the ride! WHEW! What a ride too |
| each sheep's head and also body to ward off | | | | brethren. So if anyone is getting too "puffed |
| pests (fleas, ticks, flies, the usual | | | | up" maybe we all just need to get over |
| suspects). Now the oil referred to isn't your | | | | ourselves and rest in the Shepard. I sure |
| vegetable cooking oil as that would not ward | | | | don't want to have to learn the hard way and |
| off insects. Nope it was what we now know as | | | | take a 2X4 baton! |