There's nothing like a good bird dog!

When my dad said "I love to hear my girls sing," he wasn't talking about his three daughters. It was an expression he used for his hunting dogs and the joy he derived from hearing them bellow as they ran through the woods, hot on the trail of small game. Of course, any bird dog owner will also tell you there is an equal sense of joy in seeing their favorite bird dog go on point, a silent indicator that pheasant may be on the menu for dinner.

Today, I would like to give a shout-out to another favorite local business that isn't about bellowing or pointing, but it is named for one of my favorite breeds of pooches, Bird Dogs Coffee on 101 W. Seminary Street in downtown Owenton, Kentucky. Bird Dogs is definitely more than just coffee. It's space for good conversation with good friends and a meeting space for new friends. It's sandwiches and salads, seasonal soups, and darn good sweet treats.

Bird Dogs' biggest asset is the couple who own and operate this cafe, Kasey and Randy Towles. No matter who you are or where you are from, their hearts for authentic hospitality will draw you in like an old friend. They also just happen to have merchandise for the rest of you who may love dogs as much as my dad. 

Check out Bird Dogs' Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/birddogscoffee/

A Jesus Sighting!

Jesus has been sighted at Anam Cara, twice! While doing some landscape work in the back yard, I noticed what at first appeared to be nature's way of eroding one of the stumps left from our first cedar harvest; either that, or the clever work of termites. My mistaken hypothesis was due to looking at the stump from the wrong perspective. As I shifted my position, the squiggles became letters and the letters, I realized, spelled "JESUS."

It wasn't long before I spotted "JESUS" a second time.

It seems we have had a mystery carver share lodging with us at some time! I love that I don't know who our carver is or when it happened. I love that our cedar stumps now have a purpose, declaring the Name above all names! There may be more "JESUS" stumps around the edge of our woods or maybe there are just these two. What it made me realize, however, is that it's worth checking our perspective from time to time just in case we are missing seeing Jesus right in front of our nose!

Spiritual Muscle

Autumn is peaking around the corner. The days are pleasant and the nights are refreshingly cool, perfect for evening bonfires. Before long, the leaves will begin to transform from vibrant shades of reds, oranges, and yellows to dry, brittle browns. And then, with each breath of wind, the leaves will lose their hold on the branches and gently float to the ground. This season in more northern climates is a time of preparation for the cold, winter months ahead.  The trees are conserving energy; readying themselves for the onslaught of dropping temperatures. 

Naturalist Henry David Thoreau recorded in his journal entry for October 29, 1858: “Nature now, like an athlete, begins to strip herself in earnest for her contest with her great antagonist Winter. In the bare trees and twigs what a display of muscle.” Followers of the Way of Jesus, citizens of the Kingdom of God, can learn from the trees during these seasons of transition. How do we prepare for the onslaught of events that are bound to occur at some point in time, events that challenge our survival as Kingdom people? What are we doing to minimize what we hold on to so that we are prepared when circumstances require a bit more muscle to weather the approaching storm?

We pour our energy into things that give us strength and endurance in our relationship with our Triune God. We let go of over-scheduled agendas and step into the pages of poetry and prose, history and metaphor contained in the Grand Narrative of our Hebrew and Christian testaments. If we are to build muscle and, to paraphrase Thoreau, strip ourselves in earnest for the contest with the antagonist that is bound to challenge us, then we had better know how to let go of our finery for a season. We had better know how to pour our strength into our basic need—strong roots that connect us to the source, a relationship with our Creator God through the redemption offered to us in Christ Jesus, by the power of the Holy Spirit. It is time to rest from constant production and focus on what we need to survive the turbulent storms of life, to settle into holy habits that build muscle, spiritual muscle. Only then will be prepared to endure the tougher seasons that are bound to come. 

*Resource: Roger Di Silvestro. National Wildlife Federation’s Blog. Sept 05, 2014.