It's heartbreaking to think about how animals are treated by some people, especially dogs who want to trust people and be around them. Our Lulu had a rough start to life, she's almost two and a lot of the effects of abuse are gone but some still show up occasionally. We have always had mutts, either from the shelter or usually when we're ready for another dog one in desperate need of love finds their way to us. I truly believe that dogs are God's four legged angels sent to both comfort and test us.
Lulu stays by my side constantly, helping me get through my worst days fighting cancer. I've often thought about how dogs dealt with pain and misery without voicing discomfort in most cases. They're better than we deserve.
We also pick up trash in our neighborhood. It's staggering to imagine the scale of the problem and the indifference some people have, just throwing trash everywhere. People suck.
Since I wrote this, I've heard so many stories and have continued to follow the heartache in the horse slaughter holding facilities and see so many more dogs abandoned, tied to fences, literally two "labradoodles" (money designer dogs) abandoned in an L.A. park with completely snapped back legs! They were rescued by one of the two I try and support and they've been adopted! Thank God! Just today our local dog park had an abandoned purebred Shepherd. Poor thing. Came through on my Ring doorbell notice. The lady posting it said she was pulling up, early, with her dog (to beat the heat) and watched as the people were leaving it and drove away. Incredible. I'm tracking that one. We are set to go on our roadtrip to see my 88 yr old mom in Oregon, with our two sillies. Lulu sounds like our Beatrice. Very rough start. Left tied to a tree and abandoned at 10 mon old. She's just over 6 now. She melts over my youngest granddaughter. But she's also crazy! ha ha! God sure is "dog" spelled backwards. They are angels sent to us for us to learn about unconditional love and care. We don't deserve them. To see that shepherd this morning and in a panic was awful. I would have fostered but we're leaving. I'm glad you have Lulu by your side.
Bless you for picking up the trash too. It's amazing how one can leave it, a bag of half eaten food 10 ft from a garbage can? A lot toss out the window too. I've always said the same thing too. People suck. But then there are angels like you. I pray for a miracle for you Joe. Please give my love to Kristin. Thank you for leaving me these comments. oxox
Thank you so much Rosana! I get in this “flow” mode and just hit the go button. It’s like an exercise as the thoughts hit me. I try not to change anything. Something I have only begun to dabble in.
I pick up trash/tossed stuff on my walks…. Carry a little bag and I used to wear gloves but now I use doggy waste bags ( we have then stationed throughout our neighborhood) if necessary. Pull weeds too. How hard is it people… to care?!?? Your beginning poem just pulls us in…such powerful words and rthym! Thanhs for this Deb…I agree about the animals too. Both of my grand dogs are rescue pups. ☺️Unless a trained service dog is needed, there shouldn’t be any other choice! Great piece dear friend …a powerful reminder that we all live in God’s world…we can do better serving Him! 🙏🫶☺️
I clean up my neighborhood too in Arizona USA. I find a lot of mini alcohol bottles they sell here. I think people are drinking and driving and tossing them out their windows.
That’s great you do this too! and what’s with all the mini alcohol bottles? We get them all along one particular street near our grocery store. Just toss ‘em out the window! It’s getting better since we’ve been on a mission. The good fight! ox
Thankfully, there are good people who care about life. All life. I went to the report page about the horses. Sad. Brutal. Made me want to scream.
When we have a society that thinks life is expendable when it's inconvenient to take responsibility for that gift from God, we as human beings, decline rapidly into complete moral nothingness. I have seen people post photos of their rescue pets and of their designer pets online. I don't 'like' the latter photos ever, no matter who is posting.
Take no pride is getting rid of a nuisance animal; pet or wild.
It’s horrible friend and I can’t agree with you more. A total throw-away society. Just today saw a foal so beyond abused it was actually dragged to auction and bought for meat. Blessed baby was rescued by Colby’s Crew who I support. The equine vets said it was one of the worst cases of abuse they had seen (and they see A LOT). Wicked. A good amount of Amish are absolutely terrible. Never believe they are a what they are made out to be. They have thee largest most insidious dog breeding going on in the country, they work their horses until they are almost dead, they starve and abuse them and now they are thee largest producers of marijuana that will be sold to California soon. You can’t make this stuff up. I’ve been investigating their practices. They are not a kind people. We are rapidly declining as humans and it’s very scary. Something has to change or we’re gonna see Jesus soon. Prayer and doing what we can for God. That’s what we have and there’s a lot of goodness and hope there. And NO. NO designer dogs. There literally needs to be a breeding moratorium.
I shared what you wrote about with Sarah today and told her about the site too but she didn't want to hear the details, understandable! She's well aware of the idiocy and greed and selfishness in some people that guides them into being totally self absorbed. We both always agree that it is not necessary to be perfect in this world but that we should go out of our comfort zone do good for life of all kinds; everything that God has blessed us with.
I have little trust in these organizations of "religious" who practice a love of the old ways but only insofar as how much money can be made and how it all can be controlled by them on their terms.
Corruption is everywhere. From what I read about the history of the world, this is not anything new.
We all just happen to have been awakened out of a stupor that we didn't know we were in, because we were raising a family and keeping them safe and teaching them the necessities of life, which include respect for all of life... and now here we are!
So now that time for research and reading is easier to find, staying on your toes is a full-time occupation. I give information to people that I have looked at, and I always hope for discussion so I can learn and so can they. I appreciate all kinds of information so I can dig for myself. Never knew this about the selling of horses for food and how bad the mistreatment is.
I love you too, Deb and yes, prayer in numbers!
P.S. How the subject came up between Sarah and me is funny. I said to her, "Well I'm done with the chicken, now I just have to do the cat." She thought I was talking about making supper! I told her no, I wasn't fond of everything they eat as meat in China, like horses, dogs and cats. We both laughed when I told her it was the mobile I was painting for my granddaughter that I was talking about. Animal picture on the front, name on the back. :)
Yeah, I completely get how hard it is to hear or see details. Everything you say is correct and nothing is new under the sun. We are, however, living in escalated times. Times I never thought I'd see and not sure it will get better come November. The horse slaughter facilities were shut down several years ago, but not the holding facilities. There's two I believe. It's heinous and it all needs shutting down, but mostly these abusers need to be shut down. And many breeders. A complete moratorium.
That's hilarious about your painting getting confused with eating animals! omgoodness! You're a sweet and talented grandma! Sending my love to you Jenni. ox
This bothers me, too. I try to reuse as much as I can rather than throwing things away. And as you know, I have a shelter mutt. It’s crazy to consider what life was like before everything became disposable.
Right Jenn? We grew up so different! This throw away world has a trail of reasons for it, especially the instant gratification the internet has fueled. It's so sad 😞
All we can do is our little parts and hope it affects change and lends knowledge to a few 🙏🏻 and pray.
Yes, life has sure changed in a fairly short time. Archaeologists are always interested in a civilization’s trash heap…. What would they think of ours in a theoretical future world 😲. Give your sweet pup a hug ❤️🙌
Right? ugh. horrible. I am just about to clean her ears! and both have vet appointments this week before we travel to see my mom. Jack has bad skin issues from the heat and it’s very hard to manage. He’s on this food that helps but as soon as the heat comes it’s back. We keep him cool, but it attacks seniors in particular :(
Oh no. Poor Jack! My dog has what we think must be allergies; on special food and such. She gets almost like hives and bites her feet. She’s on an antihistamine, I have wondered if it’s the weather, though. What are poor Jack’s symptoms? I hope the weather cools soon so he feels better.
Bea has a foot problem and ear problems and we've done everything. She chews her one back foot til it bleeds. It has killed me. Probiotics have helped. Zesty Paws Allergy & Immune Bites (2 after breakfast). Allergy shots don't help. It's anxiety 😬 and her ears are maintaining but it's work. She's had an ear hematoma from flapping that killed our bank account but her ears were infested when we adopted her and she might have been hit on one side 😞. Special food too 🤦♀️ We had one other rescue with never ending ear problems too in our past. It's a maintenance vs antibiotic thing.
Jack has been great his whole life. This is a Welsh Pembroke skin thing, in sr years, that's like eczema but can kill them 😢 🤦♀️🤦♀️
Mostly with 40 years of rescue pets we've been very fortunate. Seniors are never easy as they are like us. Have had several ❤️
Poor Bea! I’ve never considered probiotics. I’ll have to look into it. Our dog just came off antibiotics and is healing mostly but still mildly itchy. That is crazy about the hematoma and the anxiety. And poor Jack. That really is awful. I know what you mean about bank account draining… my last rescue had both hips replaced 😅. I hope your pups feel better soon ❤️
This is a thought provoking piece and a sad reminder of how unimportant everything we consume has become. What a world we live in. The poor discarded pets. It’s so sad.
Thank you Trudi. It’s so surreal to read about Everest, drive by people collecting huge bags of cans, making their way on a bike, picking up random trash, like the coffee cups placed under trees, along with an empty meal box, a few feet from actual trash cans, to know that brand new tents for complaining students are tossed in the garbage, as homeless die on concrete or wrap bags around themselves. It’s all a bit surreal you know? and there isn’t much we can do, except for something as small as take care of our own neighborhood, for the sake of respecting our good fortune given to us by our Creator. So, doing it to say “thank you,” is how I go about it. And the pets :( The sadness, that can often consume me, so many beautiful pets and then especially in the horse industry, my eyes see the richness of loving, sacrificial people, doing their best to save and if someone can be in the position to tangibly do it, then the least I can do is talk about it and make people aware. Share rescue photos on my Instagram. Small things that might make a thoughtful change. ox
Ahhh, thank you friend. I can lose sleep over it. It’s so dire. Then I think of all the people I see tirelessly doing the work for many of these animals. So? sharing the rescue pics on my Instagram, picking up trash out of respect for what I’ve been blessed with, despite the careless people that make it all go around in circles — It’s a big “thank you” that replaces my negative thoughts.
I know we are very much on the same page with a lot of things, especially the animals - so you keep being the example too. It’s truly the good fight. “What we want to see in the world.” oxox
Okay, you got me with Brandon Lake's song - and I promise to do a better job of cleaning up after myself (but I'm almost pure-blood Dutch so that comes naturally!)...
Does that song just make you into a puddle? I gotta say it was a good thing I had no makeup on when I sat to write this and felt this song on my heart. It’s good therapy to pour like that I am finding. God is good to turn your face to Him and say “thank you” when you could so easily live mad at careless people (not that I don’t feel that way at times) - It only serves to pull us down and not do any good at all. Oh and sorry I made you clean up and yes, the Dutch are like that!! lol. Our kids went to a mostly Dutch school! We know! oxox
I LOVE Brandon Lake! Discovered him through Maverick City Music. Also, I just found out that my favorite little rocker (and sweet Christian) singer on the last season of The Voice, Mara Justine, has joined the Maverick City "Good News" tour! This is exciting worship music!
Incredible poem about all the garbage humanity leaves behind. It’s really staggering. Kinda doesn’t bode well for us does it? Seems like all we’re good for is leaving a trail of garbage in our wake.
Victory, thank you so much. That means a lot coming from you. We do get into the flow poetry at times. I was seeing and reading so much this past weekend.
It does feel that way. Like a big vicious circle of garbage. And there isn't an ounce of accountability anymore for anything it seems. We live in the wild west and perhaps that's how we should handle it. For now, we pick up garbage and care, because we are blessed and it's a thank you for what we have. If not us, then who? I used to think, yuck. They're just going to drop it again. Why should I care. Because it's the small fight. The good fight. Seems our neighborhood is paying attention. It's got a lot better. That's a small "victory!"
Human cruelty knows no bounds. Sheesh. All my animals have been rescues. One, a pure border collie I named Shelby, was with me 15 years. She didn't live up to someone's expectations and nearly starved. Someone left her miles away from the city on the prairie. Thankfully she made her way to the shelter and then to me. I still miss that girl! Now I have a cat I've named Luna. She was in the shelter for months. They put a call out when they're overflowing with animals. When I went to the shelter she put her paw out of the cage toward me. That was all it took for me to bring her home!
People worship empty things and become accustomed to throwing them away when they no longer serve their needs. They don't see the beauty in the life around them as you do, but through your photography - who knows - maybe you reach the spirit of a few and pull them back toward reality.
No, human cruelty holds no bounds. It can really get to me. Awe, sweet Shelby. The border collies that people pay up to 15k for or more. Discarded for not being a good working dog I bet. Common. Amazing really. So glad she found her way to you. Our Beatrice was left tied to a tree when she was 10 months. Left to starve. I am so glad I walked into the shelter the day she arrived. Our little senior corgi, Jack, was adopted by our daughter when he was one. People couldn't take care of him, but he was returned to the breeder, as was the deal. We are very happy to inherit him, (they are not the best with young children as assumed) although no amount of money will go down on a newer model, once he is gone. I can't stand the over-breeding, new designer varieties of these dogs. They are very special, the "herding breeds," especially the corgis, borders and aussies. You HAVE to take a real interest in what they are made of. It's not just for getting likes on Insta, which is a lot of what we see and drives up the hideous breeding.
What you said about people worshiping empty things, idols, the instantaneous gratification of what social media has spawned exponentially, has caused this throw away world to be worse than ever. It's the work of Satan to hide what is truly beautiful and sustainable. God and His creation. Each other, life, the forests and the sea. We have been gifted with so much. Our best way to push back is to keep seeing His beauty, hearing His voice and run in the opposite direction! Thank you for your kind comment. ox
Alison, oh how I wish we could have tons of rescue cats! I’m so glad you have rescues. Cats are constantly dumped and bunnies! In parks all the time. People don’t know the difference between wild and domesticated and they get overlooked. Even domestic birds are being dumped and they don’t know how to make it in the wild. We have always rescued dogs and have one very complicated rescue calico cat that doesn’t tolerate other cats (or people! except us), as we’ve tried and it turns into hell, no matter the cat whisperer, separate rooms, etc. But, at the least I have turned my other social, Instagram into a 24 hour posting of animals in need. It’s the least I can do and I have vetted and support a few local rescues in doing so. I donate when I can and I always share. Once again, it’s small, but it’s something and it’s not hard to share. ox
Thank you so much Charles, but it’s so small, the act, you know? At first, I was disgusted, since we also run into gross things, on occasion, (and that we leave for the city sweeper) But, if not us, then who? and the fear of getting germs or sick, well you have to be careful and that’s not too hard when you’re a grownup! No fingers in the face! We don’t wear gloves or anything -
This one is on my tough-guy husband. I watch him in awe often as he surprises me. I am blessed. ox
Gehenna described in the Bible is a big trash dumb that stinks like sulfur, and it is another name for hell. It goes on to say that in the afterlife realm, unrighteous souls are punished by spending eternity cleaning it, and they will want to die but can’t.
Pretty apropos punishment if you ask me!
Thank you Deborah for being brave and shining a spotlight on this problem. I couldn’t click on the link and view the horses in the pen. 😓
Wow Charlotte! I believe this is Hell and who would want that? We will all be questioned at the end, so why not do what we can to honor God now. He has given us so much to take care of. I love you friend and your beautiful soul. Thank you always for taking the time to read my work and comment. ox
Thank you Mark! It’s only hard if you make it hard I guess! If not us, then who? This takes time to think about, but in the end, if we do it for our Creator and the earth, then it’s something. Small, but something. Taking pride in our community is a good start. I was just saying to Jamie here, also we can turn our socials, like Instagram into posts for rescues, at the minimum. I have vetted (because you have to) three awesome rescues in Los Angeles, and I post the sweet faces all the time. You never know if someone sees, tells someone else - but it can absolutely drive adoptions up!
Hope this finds you doing well! Always looking out for your photo walks! ox
It's heartbreaking to think about how animals are treated by some people, especially dogs who want to trust people and be around them. Our Lulu had a rough start to life, she's almost two and a lot of the effects of abuse are gone but some still show up occasionally. We have always had mutts, either from the shelter or usually when we're ready for another dog one in desperate need of love finds their way to us. I truly believe that dogs are God's four legged angels sent to both comfort and test us.
Lulu stays by my side constantly, helping me get through my worst days fighting cancer. I've often thought about how dogs dealt with pain and misery without voicing discomfort in most cases. They're better than we deserve.
We also pick up trash in our neighborhood. It's staggering to imagine the scale of the problem and the indifference some people have, just throwing trash everywhere. People suck.
Since I wrote this, I've heard so many stories and have continued to follow the heartache in the horse slaughter holding facilities and see so many more dogs abandoned, tied to fences, literally two "labradoodles" (money designer dogs) abandoned in an L.A. park with completely snapped back legs! They were rescued by one of the two I try and support and they've been adopted! Thank God! Just today our local dog park had an abandoned purebred Shepherd. Poor thing. Came through on my Ring doorbell notice. The lady posting it said she was pulling up, early, with her dog (to beat the heat) and watched as the people were leaving it and drove away. Incredible. I'm tracking that one. We are set to go on our roadtrip to see my 88 yr old mom in Oregon, with our two sillies. Lulu sounds like our Beatrice. Very rough start. Left tied to a tree and abandoned at 10 mon old. She's just over 6 now. She melts over my youngest granddaughter. But she's also crazy! ha ha! God sure is "dog" spelled backwards. They are angels sent to us for us to learn about unconditional love and care. We don't deserve them. To see that shepherd this morning and in a panic was awful. I would have fostered but we're leaving. I'm glad you have Lulu by your side.
Bless you for picking up the trash too. It's amazing how one can leave it, a bag of half eaten food 10 ft from a garbage can? A lot toss out the window too. I've always said the same thing too. People suck. But then there are angels like you. I pray for a miracle for you Joe. Please give my love to Kristin. Thank you for leaving me these comments. oxox
nice rhythm, and I like the way you break it up in very short lines
Thank you so much Rosana! I get in this “flow” mode and just hit the go button. It’s like an exercise as the thoughts hit me. I try not to change anything. Something I have only begun to dabble in.
I pick up trash/tossed stuff on my walks…. Carry a little bag and I used to wear gloves but now I use doggy waste bags ( we have then stationed throughout our neighborhood) if necessary. Pull weeds too. How hard is it people… to care?!?? Your beginning poem just pulls us in…such powerful words and rthym! Thanhs for this Deb…I agree about the animals too. Both of my grand dogs are rescue pups. ☺️Unless a trained service dog is needed, there shouldn’t be any other choice! Great piece dear friend …a powerful reminder that we all live in God’s world…we can do better serving Him! 🙏🫶☺️
I clean up my neighborhood too in Arizona USA. I find a lot of mini alcohol bottles they sell here. I think people are drinking and driving and tossing them out their windows.
That’s great you do this too! and what’s with all the mini alcohol bottles? We get them all along one particular street near our grocery store. Just toss ‘em out the window! It’s getting better since we’ve been on a mission. The good fight! ox
Thankfully, there are good people who care about life. All life. I went to the report page about the horses. Sad. Brutal. Made me want to scream.
When we have a society that thinks life is expendable when it's inconvenient to take responsibility for that gift from God, we as human beings, decline rapidly into complete moral nothingness. I have seen people post photos of their rescue pets and of their designer pets online. I don't 'like' the latter photos ever, no matter who is posting.
Take no pride is getting rid of a nuisance animal; pet or wild.
It’s horrible friend and I can’t agree with you more. A total throw-away society. Just today saw a foal so beyond abused it was actually dragged to auction and bought for meat. Blessed baby was rescued by Colby’s Crew who I support. The equine vets said it was one of the worst cases of abuse they had seen (and they see A LOT). Wicked. A good amount of Amish are absolutely terrible. Never believe they are a what they are made out to be. They have thee largest most insidious dog breeding going on in the country, they work their horses until they are almost dead, they starve and abuse them and now they are thee largest producers of marijuana that will be sold to California soon. You can’t make this stuff up. I’ve been investigating their practices. They are not a kind people. We are rapidly declining as humans and it’s very scary. Something has to change or we’re gonna see Jesus soon. Prayer and doing what we can for God. That’s what we have and there’s a lot of goodness and hope there. And NO. NO designer dogs. There literally needs to be a breeding moratorium.
Love you Jenni!
Prayer in numbers! oxox
I shared what you wrote about with Sarah today and told her about the site too but she didn't want to hear the details, understandable! She's well aware of the idiocy and greed and selfishness in some people that guides them into being totally self absorbed. We both always agree that it is not necessary to be perfect in this world but that we should go out of our comfort zone do good for life of all kinds; everything that God has blessed us with.
I have little trust in these organizations of "religious" who practice a love of the old ways but only insofar as how much money can be made and how it all can be controlled by them on their terms.
Corruption is everywhere. From what I read about the history of the world, this is not anything new.
We all just happen to have been awakened out of a stupor that we didn't know we were in, because we were raising a family and keeping them safe and teaching them the necessities of life, which include respect for all of life... and now here we are!
So now that time for research and reading is easier to find, staying on your toes is a full-time occupation. I give information to people that I have looked at, and I always hope for discussion so I can learn and so can they. I appreciate all kinds of information so I can dig for myself. Never knew this about the selling of horses for food and how bad the mistreatment is.
I love you too, Deb and yes, prayer in numbers!
P.S. How the subject came up between Sarah and me is funny. I said to her, "Well I'm done with the chicken, now I just have to do the cat." She thought I was talking about making supper! I told her no, I wasn't fond of everything they eat as meat in China, like horses, dogs and cats. We both laughed when I told her it was the mobile I was painting for my granddaughter that I was talking about. Animal picture on the front, name on the back. :)
Yeah, I completely get how hard it is to hear or see details. Everything you say is correct and nothing is new under the sun. We are, however, living in escalated times. Times I never thought I'd see and not sure it will get better come November. The horse slaughter facilities were shut down several years ago, but not the holding facilities. There's two I believe. It's heinous and it all needs shutting down, but mostly these abusers need to be shut down. And many breeders. A complete moratorium.
That's hilarious about your painting getting confused with eating animals! omgoodness! You're a sweet and talented grandma! Sending my love to you Jenni. ox
Thanks so much, my friend! :)
This bothers me, too. I try to reuse as much as I can rather than throwing things away. And as you know, I have a shelter mutt. It’s crazy to consider what life was like before everything became disposable.
Right Jenn? We grew up so different! This throw away world has a trail of reasons for it, especially the instant gratification the internet has fueled. It's so sad 😞
All we can do is our little parts and hope it affects change and lends knowledge to a few 🙏🏻 and pray.
I know we love our rescue dog siblings ❤️❤️
Thank you 😘
Yes, life has sure changed in a fairly short time. Archaeologists are always interested in a civilization’s trash heap…. What would they think of ours in a theoretical future world 😲. Give your sweet pup a hug ❤️🙌
Right? ugh. horrible. I am just about to clean her ears! and both have vet appointments this week before we travel to see my mom. Jack has bad skin issues from the heat and it’s very hard to manage. He’s on this food that helps but as soon as the heat comes it’s back. We keep him cool, but it attacks seniors in particular :(
Sending you much love Jenn! oxox
Oh no. Poor Jack! My dog has what we think must be allergies; on special food and such. She gets almost like hives and bites her feet. She’s on an antihistamine, I have wondered if it’s the weather, though. What are poor Jack’s symptoms? I hope the weather cools soon so he feels better.
Bea has a foot problem and ear problems and we've done everything. She chews her one back foot til it bleeds. It has killed me. Probiotics have helped. Zesty Paws Allergy & Immune Bites (2 after breakfast). Allergy shots don't help. It's anxiety 😬 and her ears are maintaining but it's work. She's had an ear hematoma from flapping that killed our bank account but her ears were infested when we adopted her and she might have been hit on one side 😞. Special food too 🤦♀️ We had one other rescue with never ending ear problems too in our past. It's a maintenance vs antibiotic thing.
Jack has been great his whole life. This is a Welsh Pembroke skin thing, in sr years, that's like eczema but can kill them 😢 🤦♀️🤦♀️
Mostly with 40 years of rescue pets we've been very fortunate. Seniors are never easy as they are like us. Have had several ❤️
Poor Bea! I’ve never considered probiotics. I’ll have to look into it. Our dog just came off antibiotics and is healing mostly but still mildly itchy. That is crazy about the hematoma and the anxiety. And poor Jack. That really is awful. I know what you mean about bank account draining… my last rescue had both hips replaced 😅. I hope your pups feel better soon ❤️
Sorry, Deb, my internet is being crazy and I think I left you several comments 😂
I don't see more than one! But mine was wacky today too and I think I left double comments! They wouldn't upload 🤦♀️😅
Oh good, I tried to delete them once I learned it was happening! Must have been the app!
This is a thought provoking piece and a sad reminder of how unimportant everything we consume has become. What a world we live in. The poor discarded pets. It’s so sad.
Thank you Trudi. It’s so surreal to read about Everest, drive by people collecting huge bags of cans, making their way on a bike, picking up random trash, like the coffee cups placed under trees, along with an empty meal box, a few feet from actual trash cans, to know that brand new tents for complaining students are tossed in the garbage, as homeless die on concrete or wrap bags around themselves. It’s all a bit surreal you know? and there isn’t much we can do, except for something as small as take care of our own neighborhood, for the sake of respecting our good fortune given to us by our Creator. So, doing it to say “thank you,” is how I go about it. And the pets :( The sadness, that can often consume me, so many beautiful pets and then especially in the horse industry, my eyes see the richness of loving, sacrificial people, doing their best to save and if someone can be in the position to tangibly do it, then the least I can do is talk about it and make people aware. Share rescue photos on my Instagram. Small things that might make a thoughtful change. ox
Yes, surreal is a good word for it. Such wanton waste. We can all do our bit to raise awareness.
I love the poem Deborah and you are bang on about shelters. Makes me sad so many people overlook them and so many animals die.
Keep being an example of what you want to see in the world my friend. I know you do xx
Ahhh, thank you friend. I can lose sleep over it. It’s so dire. Then I think of all the people I see tirelessly doing the work for many of these animals. So? sharing the rescue pics on my Instagram, picking up trash out of respect for what I’ve been blessed with, despite the careless people that make it all go around in circles — It’s a big “thank you” that replaces my negative thoughts.
I know we are very much on the same page with a lot of things, especially the animals - so you keep being the example too. It’s truly the good fight. “What we want to see in the world.” oxox
Okay, you got me with Brandon Lake's song - and I promise to do a better job of cleaning up after myself (but I'm almost pure-blood Dutch so that comes naturally!)...
Does that song just make you into a puddle? I gotta say it was a good thing I had no makeup on when I sat to write this and felt this song on my heart. It’s good therapy to pour like that I am finding. God is good to turn your face to Him and say “thank you” when you could so easily live mad at careless people (not that I don’t feel that way at times) - It only serves to pull us down and not do any good at all. Oh and sorry I made you clean up and yes, the Dutch are like that!! lol. Our kids went to a mostly Dutch school! We know! oxox
Are you a Brandon Lake fan? Has he done other works?
I LOVE Brandon Lake! Discovered him through Maverick City Music. Also, I just found out that my favorite little rocker (and sweet Christian) singer on the last season of The Voice, Mara Justine, has joined the Maverick City "Good News" tour! This is exciting worship music!
Amen!
Yesss! The little victories. Things are getting better lately. Not as much to bag!
Incredible poem about all the garbage humanity leaves behind. It’s really staggering. Kinda doesn’t bode well for us does it? Seems like all we’re good for is leaving a trail of garbage in our wake.
Victory, thank you so much. That means a lot coming from you. We do get into the flow poetry at times. I was seeing and reading so much this past weekend.
It does feel that way. Like a big vicious circle of garbage. And there isn't an ounce of accountability anymore for anything it seems. We live in the wild west and perhaps that's how we should handle it. For now, we pick up garbage and care, because we are blessed and it's a thank you for what we have. If not us, then who? I used to think, yuck. They're just going to drop it again. Why should I care. Because it's the small fight. The good fight. Seems our neighborhood is paying attention. It's got a lot better. That's a small "victory!"
Sending you much love. ox
Human cruelty knows no bounds. Sheesh. All my animals have been rescues. One, a pure border collie I named Shelby, was with me 15 years. She didn't live up to someone's expectations and nearly starved. Someone left her miles away from the city on the prairie. Thankfully she made her way to the shelter and then to me. I still miss that girl! Now I have a cat I've named Luna. She was in the shelter for months. They put a call out when they're overflowing with animals. When I went to the shelter she put her paw out of the cage toward me. That was all it took for me to bring her home!
People worship empty things and become accustomed to throwing them away when they no longer serve their needs. They don't see the beauty in the life around them as you do, but through your photography - who knows - maybe you reach the spirit of a few and pull them back toward reality.
Penny,
No, human cruelty holds no bounds. It can really get to me. Awe, sweet Shelby. The border collies that people pay up to 15k for or more. Discarded for not being a good working dog I bet. Common. Amazing really. So glad she found her way to you. Our Beatrice was left tied to a tree when she was 10 months. Left to starve. I am so glad I walked into the shelter the day she arrived. Our little senior corgi, Jack, was adopted by our daughter when he was one. People couldn't take care of him, but he was returned to the breeder, as was the deal. We are very happy to inherit him, (they are not the best with young children as assumed) although no amount of money will go down on a newer model, once he is gone. I can't stand the over-breeding, new designer varieties of these dogs. They are very special, the "herding breeds," especially the corgis, borders and aussies. You HAVE to take a real interest in what they are made of. It's not just for getting likes on Insta, which is a lot of what we see and drives up the hideous breeding.
What you said about people worshiping empty things, idols, the instantaneous gratification of what social media has spawned exponentially, has caused this throw away world to be worse than ever. It's the work of Satan to hide what is truly beautiful and sustainable. God and His creation. Each other, life, the forests and the sea. We have been gifted with so much. Our best way to push back is to keep seeing His beauty, hearing His voice and run in the opposite direction! Thank you for your kind comment. ox
I have all rescue cats. The shelters are crammed with so many wonderful pets just waiting for a home. I wish more people would adopt.
Alison, oh how I wish we could have tons of rescue cats! I’m so glad you have rescues. Cats are constantly dumped and bunnies! In parks all the time. People don’t know the difference between wild and domesticated and they get overlooked. Even domestic birds are being dumped and they don’t know how to make it in the wild. We have always rescued dogs and have one very complicated rescue calico cat that doesn’t tolerate other cats (or people! except us), as we’ve tried and it turns into hell, no matter the cat whisperer, separate rooms, etc. But, at the least I have turned my other social, Instagram into a 24 hour posting of animals in need. It’s the least I can do and I have vetted and support a few local rescues in doing so. I donate when I can and I always share. Once again, it’s small, but it’s something and it’s not hard to share. ox
There you go again, Deborah. I see your heart.
Thank you so much Charles, but it’s so small, the act, you know? At first, I was disgusted, since we also run into gross things, on occasion, (and that we leave for the city sweeper) But, if not us, then who? and the fear of getting germs or sick, well you have to be careful and that’s not too hard when you’re a grownup! No fingers in the face! We don’t wear gloves or anything -
This one is on my tough-guy husband. I watch him in awe often as he surprises me. I am blessed. ox
Gehenna described in the Bible is a big trash dumb that stinks like sulfur, and it is another name for hell. It goes on to say that in the afterlife realm, unrighteous souls are punished by spending eternity cleaning it, and they will want to die but can’t.
Pretty apropos punishment if you ask me!
Thank you Deborah for being brave and shining a spotlight on this problem. I couldn’t click on the link and view the horses in the pen. 😓
Wow Charlotte! I believe this is Hell and who would want that? We will all be questioned at the end, so why not do what we can to honor God now. He has given us so much to take care of. I love you friend and your beautiful soul. Thank you always for taking the time to read my work and comment. ox
100% agree with you on this, Deborah!
Thank you Mark! It’s only hard if you make it hard I guess! If not us, then who? This takes time to think about, but in the end, if we do it for our Creator and the earth, then it’s something. Small, but something. Taking pride in our community is a good start. I was just saying to Jamie here, also we can turn our socials, like Instagram into posts for rescues, at the minimum. I have vetted (because you have to) three awesome rescues in Los Angeles, and I post the sweet faces all the time. You never know if someone sees, tells someone else - but it can absolutely drive adoptions up!
Hope this finds you doing well! Always looking out for your photo walks! ox