This one is in honor of my friend, Karin, who suffers from the inexplicable condition of not being able to read fiction.

In the record I keep of books I’ve read, I rated Marley & Me as one of my favorite books of the year in which I read it. This is saying a lot since I came to it pretty reluctantly. It was on the New York Times Bestsellers list for hundreds of weeks. I’d heard that every dog owner and lover would just adore it. Well, I’ve never had a pet in my life and I’m sort of afraid of and don’t like any animals. (I’m sure there’s no way those two things could be related, right?)

I also heard that despite the description of Marley as “the world’s worst dog,” it might make readers actually want a dog. Eek! I didn’t want a dog, and I didn’t want to want a dog, either. Another reason not to read it.

So, when my husband bought it for me, I returned it, because that’s the kind of appreciative gift-receiver I am. Sometime later, he brought a borrowed copy home from work, so I gave in, and let me tell you, there’s a reason it was on the Bestsellers list for so long! (Duh.) It’s not just for dog owners or lovers, though if you are either you might identify more with the stories. There are few books that truly make me laugh out loud while reading, and this was one of them. (Warning: It also made me cry.) It’s not just about the dog, either. It’s basically a narrative of the author, John’s, journey into marriage and parenthood with stories about their (possibly literally) crazy dog, Marley, woven in. And yes, he is indeed lovable but thankfully, the book did not make me want a dog. Whew!

Check it out from the Orange County Library if you think you might be interested. There are several other versions more suited to younger audiences. Marley: A Dog Like No Other has the “marital” parts taken out of it. A picture book for beginning readers is called Bad Dog Marley!. A third called Marley & Me: Illustrated Edition is the book with pictures, I’m guessing.  And because this is the fate of all bestsellers, a movie adaption is coming out around Christmas, starring Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson.

I wanted to tell you about a couple cooking blogs that I read regularly. I’ve had a lot of fun finding new recipes from them and learing more about cooking. So instead of a recipe, here’s a couple blogs you should check out:

Fulltummies - written by 2 sisters who are the mothers of young children they have a lot of “family friendly and not very complicated foods.” A personal favorite, their Compromise Cookies.

Simply Recipes - great pictures, good foods, I’m looking forward to trying her Chicken Curry Salad.

Smitten kitchen - pictures during the cooking process, delicious food, decadent desserts.  A favorite that I made for small group: Brownie Mosiac Cheesecake

Marrying my husband Johnny meant that in addition to becoming a wife, I also became a dog owner. Our dog Maya is a three year old, sixty pound, black lab mix from the pound. She has such a sweet personality and I don’t know that I could go back to being “pet-less” after living with her.

I came home from work today and was pretty tired. I had a day of meetings that included a lot of talking to people, which can be really draining for me. I was looking forward to getting home and doing nothing for a little while. As soon as I walked in the door Maya was glued to me. I patted her head once and then went on to do various things around my condo. For the next five minutes or so Maya followed me. She followed me… into a small closet, into the bedroom, into the kitchen and into the bathroom with her cold wet nose continually brushing the back of my knee. I started to get irritated at her and her cold nose and then realized that all that she wanted was a proper greeting. As soon as I looked at her and pet her for more than 2 seconds she stopped following me.

This may seem like a silly story and it kind of is, but it reminded me of myself and something that I don’t do. Maya knows exactly what she wants and needs. She wants/needs affection from me when I have been gone all day. Unlike Maya, when I am feeling down or need something from others I isolate myself. Instead of calling a friend and talking about a tough day at work I watch mindless t.v. or go to sleep when what I really need is community. Instead of taking my hurt and pain and crying out to God, I think that He doesn’t care and isolate myself from Him too. This is not what I was meant for. I think it is cool that God can use the behavior of my dog to remind me to turn to Him instead of isolating myself.

Our retreat speaker this year is Angel Richards from Seven Rivers Church in Crystal River Florida. Angel is a dynamic speaker with a heart for women and God’s word. This retreat will give you a great weekend to get a way from the hectic pace of life and slow down to enjoy building relationships and reconnecting with God. We will have plenty of free time so bring a good book or whatever you need to hit the beach or swim in the Lazy River.

When Christy announced the retreat on Sunday she mentioned all the reasons she didn’t want to go last year and God began removing the obstacles. If you are hesitant or unsure, take a step toward going and let God remove the obstacles!

Registration is extended one more week so plan to sign up on Sunday!

To register for the retreat contact Kimberly at gkmmassari@yahoo.com

I was reading just now from Psalm 32 -
“What joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of sin,
whose lives are lived in complete honesty!
When I refused to confess my sin,
I was weak and miserable, and I groaned all day long.”

It got me thinking if I had any unconfessed sin in my life. So, I prayed and thought, “Well, I suppose my sin is a lack of trust and a desire to control things. So, I confess that and ask that You would help me with those areas. Although, I don’t want to have to go through any sort of trial or circumstance to grow in those areas.”

Then it occurred to me, “Oh, oops. I guess that is still me lacking in trust and desiring to control things, huh?”

So, was that a true confessed sin?