From Chert Dog’s perspective, “Doghead is pretty easy to learn, you just have to speak from your heart.” This velvety Black with Chocolate accents English Labrador Retriever came…
Source: Chert Dog’s Book: “My Father’s Greatest Gift: Life Lessons from a Black English Labrador Retriever
Psalm 91
Micah 6:8
Romans 8:28-31
Brrrrr, is it ever cold and windy from this high vantage point! All I can remember, really, is somebody took me for a long car ride and when the vehicle finally stopped, I was thrown out of it into a very dark and scary night. I am so thankful that I have excellent night vision because it helped me negotiate my unfamiliar surroundings. The side of the country road had pieces of rock salt which went in between my “20 paws and 22 claws” and I let out a squeak as I attempted to find some soft snow to wash away the sting. Yep, I was born with five toes on each of my paws and two extra claws which are located nicely between my “thumb” and four toes on my front two legs. Do you think THAT is the reason why they left me here? I know I have really big paws, but that’s what makes me unique!
Then, this really LOUD truck went chu-chugging along by where I had been soaking my paws and the bright headlights startled me as I ran away from the roadside into the pitch blackness of the slopping field below. There were rocks and clumps of snow together with prickly bushes and a barbed wire fence. Somehow I negotiated through the midnight maize towards some dried grass and welcoming brush. This seemed like a reasonable spot to take a rest for a bit, or so I thought. All of a sudden, some type of wild animal came out of the blindness of the night running right towards me! I must say my heart skipped quite a few beats as it felt as if it had jumped up into my throat as I sped towards the closest tree I could find. I climbed up as high as I could because I am still very young and don’t weigh very much yet so the very tiny limbs can support me.
Well, do you remember me telling you about how many toes I have? Now I know why God equipped me with such gargantuan paws. For what seemed to be an eternity for me, I held onto those fragile branches atop that big old oak tree. The wind picked up and the tree began to sway in the wind as I trembled and clung even tighter to the tiny branches. Then, the sun began to rise up over the hilltop as the sunlight shed some warmth on my nearly frozen body. Some chickadees flew up to see me as they sang their morning tunes. In different circumstances, I would have been dashing after THEM up the tree, but in my current situation, I was gladdened by their company.
Once the sunshine began to allow me to see my predicament more clearly, I literally wanted to take my one paw and place it up over my eyes in disbelief. What in heaven’s name was I going to do to get myself out of this situation? I had climbed so far up this friendly oak that my only solution would be to attempt to turn around and climb DOWN the tree. That’s about when the hypothermia began to set in. I hadn’t slept all night. I was hungry and dehydrated so I did what any logical person would do in a similar situation – I began to cry. What happened, though, is that I couldn’t stop crying. I’m sure you’ve heard this expression before: HAULT – don’t let yourself get too hungry, too angry, too lonely or too tired. Well, I had reached full-tilt on all four of those topics and then some!
As I cried deliriously, the most amazingly wonderful thing happened! A woman had been walking alongside the road and heard my calls. She climbed over the barbed wire fence and was underneath the tree looking up and talking to me. When I finally took a few deep breaths and subsided my almost hiccup crying reaction I was having, she began walking around the bottom of the oak’s trunk as she attempted to climb up a few branches. Then she motioned for me to jump down to a bigger limb which was quite a caper from my perspective. I just couldn’t let go. She then climbed back down the tree and went on her knees and prayed. Now, these past twenty-four hours have really encompassed the full spectrum of emotions for me, to say the least. Here I was last night being discarded by someone who didn’t appreciate me to this gal who not only tried to climb the tree to get me, but is now praying for me?
That was the “ah, ha” moment for me as I took my “first of many quantum leap of faith” to a lower limb and my enormous claws and paws grabbed onto the tree’s bark firmly. She encouraged me as I knew I would have to jump one more time before she could climb up to reach me. So, I literally closed my eyes when I sprang the second time and landed on the side of the trunk with pieces of the oak’s rough outer layers and small branches falling away. It was then that I truly learned what unconditional love really is. As she reached for me, I felt this amazing calmness come over me because I knew I had been saved.
Enveloped in her comforting and warm embrace, she wrapped her rainbow-hued fluffy yarn scarf around me and held firmly onto my paws else I decide to spring out of her arms. At this point, that was the last thing on my mind! Trembling and exhausted, I kept dozing off on our walk down the road and up the hill to where her home was nestled. As we approached our destination, a neighbor met us and offered a few cat toys, litter box and comforted me as I welcomed her kind words.
When we walked down the driveway to her home, a loud ruckus of several dogheads barking startled me as I almost sprang out of her grasp. Gladly, these friendly but very talkative neighbor’s pets were contained in a large fence surrounding their property. Whew, thank goodness for that! I’m sure they are friendly as they were my older brother’s girlfriends, but just the same, I am a kitten – not a doghead.
The definition of chrysalis is something still in the process of development. Is our life that of a golden chrysalis to then be born into beautiful butterflies? All of these photos were taken by me in my flower garden. Each of these butterflies flew up and landed on me first, then enjoyed the flowers for several minutes. They all symbolize loved ones who have been reborn into their new lives. The top black/orange/blue/white butterfly arrived on my dad’s anniversary of his passing. The yellow and black in the middle is my grandmother finally free to spread her wings. The Monarch arrived when I was pursuing educational pursuits, as my mom is and always will be the one who celebrates my victories. The light yellow and black worn butterfly symbolizes to me the importance of perseverance irregardless of the circumstances. All are miracles. Thanks be to God!
Connie A. Mitchell Marchell
Ah, Doghead here. Hope you enjoyed hearing about what
my mission was while I was here. Just thought I’d like to point
out the synchronicity of all of the events that led to bringing that
much needed peace and serenity to John’s tormented soul. His wife,
Connie, had told him that if she were ever to leave the earth plane,
she would come back as his dog because he gave so much love and
attention to all of the animals in his life. All I can tell you on that
note is that since Love is all there is and we are all One in the Spirit,
it is quite possible that her love channeled through me to mend his
broken heart and bring life more abundantly into his life. So my
mission was accomplished and I want to thank you for giving me the
opportunity to share my experience of the unlimited powers of love
with you. Doghead out.
Since it is the Spirit that gives life and the flesh is of no avail, out of all of the photographs I took of this sunset, this particular photo revealed a figure in a white robe with a scarlet red cloak walking into the sunset. It appears to be Jesus with his arms stretched out widely as Daniel 3:60 expresses, “All you waters above the heavens, bless the Lord, praise and exalt him above all forever.”
Luke 2:9
Luke 2: 10
The hard candy is shaped like a “J” to represent that Jesus is our rock of all ages. The candy was made white to stand for the pureness of Jesus. The red represents the blood that Jesus shed to save us from our sins.
©Loriginal Designs (Nativity Scenes, Tabernacle Cloth)
©Bible
©Mary Did You Know – Kenny Rogers & Wynonna Judd – KJ Dee YouTube
©Mary Did You Know – 1greysanatomyluver YouTube
For it is by preserving our forests, hills, mountains, lakes, streams and rivers and co-existing with wildlife that Gaia will begin to heal from countless centuries of destruction placed upon her when all she wants is to share her miraculously breathtaking resources and beauty with us. As she cries out for help, let us all consciously unite to assist her in giving back to her for all she so unconditionally gives to us each day.
Adirondack Park
Algonquin Summit
Algonquin Summit
Algonquin Peak Trail
Algonquin Peak Trail
Looking out from Whiteface Mountain
Whiteface Mountain
Whiteface Mountain
© Loriginal Designs
As Wayshowers we must be united in one consciousness of healing our sacred Mother Earth as her very bowels are being extracted for energy consumption. From pollution in the water, ground and air and the devastation of our mature tree population, to the covering of her grassy fields with pavement, it is time to mend our relationship with her through our appreciation and gratitude. There are alternative free energy resources that are not corporate driven. There is a choice. The gift is the green grass, the vibrant sky, the flowing waters, the rustling trees, the birds singing and the animals traveling across her open terrain. We are all being called to assist in restoring her to her pristine magnificence through our collective conscience of unconditional love toward ourselves, toward others and to Gaia who gives of herself tirelessly. It is now time for us to give back to her.
“Let there be a world to see, let it be of inspiration. Let there be a world to see, let it be of God’s creation.”
John V. Marchell
