Bark....bark......bark,bark,bark,bark,bark,etc.

I have determined that my neighbors must suffer hearing loss of some sort. They may be totally deaf, I'm not sure. Their dog, however, is bound and determined that they can hear him/her because it starts early in the a.m. as the sun comes up in the attempt that maybe today they will hear it bark. Alas, to no avail, and the barking continues. As I lay in my bed praying for the dog and it's owners.... yes, praying is better than what first came to mind, which included a high powered rifle, sniper goggles, black face paint and a camoflage ensemble. I have no shoes to wear with that, so that was out. Anyway, I was in constant conversation with the good Lord himself about the reasonings why some think they should have dogs, which inevitably led me to my favorite question, why some people have children, which led me to a synonymous comparison between the dog and other people's kids. Be careful, you have just been down the road of my mind and how my thoughts lead me through my day. That could be dangerous or just down right confusing.

Although my analogy has lots of stark contrasts, obviously, I still decided it was worth some cerebral banter. Some people want dogs and want them now and get them immediately no thought to it. They jump into a responsibility that they have no concept of. Someone should be counseling people on this decision. Then they bring the dog home and love it for a time and then it becomes a burden. So from this point where do you go with the dog? Of course, tied up in a kennel on the far corner of the property where it is closer to the neighbors house than your own. I understand a safe place for the dog when it cannot be left in the house, but have never understood why the kennel cannot be placed as close to the house as possible, maybe even attached. Because if it does rain and you go to get the poor thing...... Ok, so the dog then commences to shout out to tell you what it needs...love, food, pet psychic, etc. But in such a way that now the whole neighborhood is privy to it's desires, while the owner is tucked away sound asleep ignoring the dog and it's rantings. Turning up the tv, the radio, blending a few more margheritas, whatever the case may be, but in utter denial that the dog is trying to get attention from whomever will listen.

Here we go... this is where it turns to the human barker. I watch so many children bark at their parents about everything..."I want that toy!" "I want a happy meal! I don't want that!" "I need a new car!" "I need a new dress!" "I need my hair done!" " I want......I want.....I need.....I .......!!!!!!!!" "Bark, bark, bark, blah, blah, blah, bark!" Parents have become out of tune with what their kids are asking. My experience is that kids just want their parents. They want their attention, their love, their presence in their life. Watching those who raise their kids by bribery has led them into a teenage life of get me this, do that, go here, do it for me. Here is the deal kids. It ain't about you!!!!!!!! Shocking, I know. If we could, as parents, start giving our kids what we know they truly need, their appetite for the wrong type of attention would halt. Lives will be much simpler if we nip it in the bud quickly, making it a process of lifelong relationship building instead of a life of discipline and kenneling in the back of the property only pretending we don't hear them. I love my children so very much. I take my responsibility to raise them the way God intended, not me, very seriously. I only have one life to live with them and want to do it without the kennel in the yard and without my neighbors being the only ones hearing them bark.

Dear God, free us from our kennels we've put ourselves in, break us free from the chains around our necks that hold us down. Stop the barking and open our hearts to those around us who are barking. Free us from ourselves. The hold we have on us is a strong one, keep us focused on You! Thank you God for the barking dogs in our lives. May they keep us aware of your work and will. Thank you God for your life in mine. Thank you God!