Day One - check..... cookies.... check

 I made it through without a lot of difficulty, day one of my fast.  I am still working through the specifics of what I'm fasting, mainly due to convenience I'm afraid.  But I have stuck to it.  Fruits and vegetables and last night I had a piece of salmon.  Now I am not going to every day tell you what I ate, so don't worry about that.  I'm just holding myself accountable.  The first day is sometimes the hardest, just to get started and stick to it.  But I have passed the first day with an orange for breakfast, nothing for lunch, and then a Greek Salmon Salad for dinner.  Yeah, we went out.  But I had a reason for us going out.

During my 'lunch break' that I rarely take, I made white chocolate chip macadamia nut cookies for my middle child.  He had commented that he was going to 'fast speaking to mom for 21 days because she is teasing me with cookies'.  Or something like that.  Couldn't have that happen - although it does happen frequently - for months, at times.  It was all in fun and I made the cookies in fun.  And the best part, I didn't taste even one of them.  I didn't even pick at the dough, nor taste a chocolate chip, nor eat a macadamia nut.  I didn't even lick my fingers, although the thought did occur to me.  I have no idea how the cookies came out, but I'm hoping they are good.

So after I got off work yesterday I asked hubby if wanted to go for a ride and then we could grab a salad for dinner - he's all for food.  (I wonder if that is the 'work for food' signs came from?)  Anyway, we drove to the middle child's house, got to see the DIL but not the son as he was already at his pub.  So we dropped off the cookies and headed to the restaurant we frequent and had the salad before coming home.  It was nice just to get out of the house again.   Now the middle child has no excuse NOT to talk to me. :-)  So there!

Hubby picked up Sheeba yesterday and I must admit we have some concerns.  She doesn't seem to be her usual self, full of energy.  Usually, when she comes in the house, she makes a bee-line for my room to find me.  This time she walked with hubby down the hall to me.  She didn't show any excitement at seeing me, she didn't even try to jump into my lap.  She slept all afternoon, snoring loudly as usual.  She seems to have a little difficulty getting up.  Maybe it is just that we are noticing it?  I don't know.  After she saw me, she went to her crate and spent most of the afternoon there, sleeping.  

My weight bench got delivered yesterday and I went to the door to retrieve it.  Sheeba did get up and approached the door, but I told her 'shhh' cause hubby was asleep in his chair.  She didn't bark but stood and watched.  I brought the box in and had to tell her to get out of the way, which woke hubby up.  After that, she just laid on the floor.

After we went to dinner and came back home - usually when I go sit on the couch in 'my corner', she comes flying to get on my lap and bury her face in my side.... this time she walked to me, but did not even attempt to climb in my lap.  Totally not Sheeba.  I tried to get her to jump into my lap as usual - and she would not even attempt it.

Something is definitely wrong.  I have rubbed her hips and legs and she doesn't wimper or act like she is in pain.  It's almost like she has been either worked out and worn out, or has been drugged.  I thought for a few moments that maybe someone had kicked her because she wasn't jumping and seemed to have difficulty getting up.  It's just really NOT Sheeba.  She is subdued and quiet.   We are both concerned and are hoping she comes around today.  If not, hubby is going to call the dog resort to ask what happened - not that they will confess to anything.  If she doesn't improve in a few days, we will take her to the vet to see if there is something wrong with her back end, although she doesn't limp when she walks either.  I even wondered if they worked intensely on training her not to jump on people.  Could they do that in three days? It's not that we want her to jump on people or be like she was, difficult to hold on to and using her strength against us, but it is such a drastic change we are concerned something is wrong.  When I take her out back to do her thing, I usually use the long leash and will tell her to 'run' and she will run in a wide circle while I hold on to the leash.  I figure this gets her a little exercise and she will run several times around this large circle in the back yard area.  Last night she wouldn't run.  Like I said, it seems to be an over the weekend thing and it has concerned us.  Hopefully she will be better and back to herself today.  At first we jokingly said she was paying us back for putting her away for three days.  And we recalled when we took her to PetSmart hotels that she would sometimes come back subdued for a little while, but quickly snapped out of it.  It just seems so different this time.  I hope they didn't hurt her and all this is just our noticing things.

I was reviewing the message I plan to give this weekend at the RV park church in Pioneer Village.  I like the fact they are now taping the messages and they are 'live' but only for the reason I can critique myself.  I did this message a couple weeks ago at the other RV park church and they thought they taped it, but something happened and it didn't record.   It's interesting to listen to myself speak and watch my mannerisms while I do so.  It's been many years since I was taped.  I do have a couple that I spoke at and sent to my sister but she only commented she couldn't open one.  And that's ok.  

One of the things I talk about is how we don't always notice things.  And I am very guilty of NOT noticing things.   Not sure why that is, but I have mentally shut myself off from that, I think.  So it is surprising that I am noticing these things about Sheeba.  Perhaps it is because she and I have a special relationship?  She knows I won't (always) push her away when she jumps on me - at least not right away.  I will rub her belly or just love on her before I tell her to 'get down' and she usually does.

Kind of like what we do with God, do you think?  We like Him being around, and taking care of things for us, providing for us, meeting our needs.... but then we take Him for granted.  We can see what all He does for us, but we don't really notice it.  After awhile we tend to take for granted that He will always provide, He will always be there when we need Him, He will always give us what we want.  But we don't acknowledge Him, don't even stop to thank Him for what He has provided.   

But what if..... what if.... we start our day with just a whisper under our breath - 'Thank You, God, for all the things You have provided, and are providing, for me and my family.  Thank You, for always being there and available for us when we need You.  Thank You for all that You do, even when we do not ask or acknowledge You.  Thank You for loving me, loving us, and never giving up on us."

If you just take a moment and whisper those words - even in your own words just a 'Thank You, Lord'.... you just might be filled with a peace that you have never experienced before.  Try it - I dare you.

Blessings!