On the day of the Lord’s birth we of the Meadow wish you Merry Christmas. As we celebrate and worship please know you all are in our prayers and thoughts. God Bless You All!
-we love this picture…. imagine what Mary must’ve thought about it all….of all the people who ever walked the earth this is the one human I want to meet in heaven….. not only because I am in awe of her but because I want to say Thank you to her for saying yes to God…..
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As with all posts we now have our moment of mirth……
last night as I was out and about what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a spry little elf driving a SC and not 9 deere… (pun intended)…. hehehe
-here is the proof as Saint Nick roared by in a Case SC… 🙂
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– um… sorry folks I think the old guy had too much Christmas Cheer… ahem….
As Christmas Eve comes here to the Meadow the old guy is always in awe and full of wonder that God came to earth to save His creation. As night falls and everyone is snuggled down for a long winter’s nap we collies watch as he will look outside and up into the sky in awe and wonder. For him it is his favorite celebration of the year. It is so quiet and if the stars are out it is always awe inspiring……
While White Christmas is one of his favorites, the old guy always appreciates the old carols most of all once night falls…..
We all wish you a Blessed Christmas Eve and tomorrow we will be ready to celebrate with our treats! 🙂
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-Wow! I was a good girl this year.. look at that big present for me!
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The old guy’s favorite Holy Song for Christmas song……
Dad reads us this story every year and we collies listen intently. This year we surprised him with a picture taken at the birth of Jesus! He loved the picture and we collies are posting it here with the story of the birth of Jesus!
God Bless You!
The Collies of the Meadow
STORY OF CHRISTMAS FROM BOOK OF LUKE
Luke 2:1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. 2:2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) 2:3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. 2:4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) 2:5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with Child. 2:6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
2:7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son,
and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger;
because there was no room for them in the inn.
2:8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 2:9 And, lo, the angel of the LORD came upon them, and the glory of the LORD shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. 2:10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 2:11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the LORD. 2:12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. 2:13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 2:14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. 2:15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into Heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the LORD hath made known unto us. 2:16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. 2:17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this Child. 2:18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 2:19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. 2:20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them. 2:21 And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the Child, His Name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before He was conceived in the womb.
Here is the recently uncovered picture of the Manger with Joseph, Mary, Jesus and the Shepherd and the Wise Men!
Photo taken by the Texas Collie and Sheltie Rescue.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!
We Collies post this song for this is the Old Guy’s favorite song and we love it also;
The cycle of the year is noticed here at the meadow and sometimes has a bigger impact than just the winter. On November 30 begins the second most Holy time of the year… Advent. A time of quiet expectation and waiting, this is the Old Guy’s favorite Church season. The travelling of Joseph and a expecting Virgin Mary, the birth in the Manger, the appearance of the Angels to the Shepherd (us collies were there ya know!), the wise men, the star…. the Old Guy is in awe of the beauty,simplicity, humbleness yet the power of it all.
For us collies it is a time of joy, love, cuddling, love and wonder at the bringing in of the indoor collie plumbing (dad calls it a Christmas Tree), lots of treats, presents, kindness and then on Christmas eve as the Old Guy reads the story of the birth we collies gather close and listen as we drift off to sleep wondering how our collie ancestors felt seeing those Angels, seeing the birth and all the wonders of the time.
Advent is a nice time here at the Meadow that we collies enjoy. Dad listens to a lot of Bing Crosby, plays with us in the snow and life comes to a standstill at Christmas…… Then after the celebration of HIS birth life picks up steam and joy reigns here and we often see the Old Guy looking up in wonder and even in this time of joy we catch him looking at pictures of those of us no longer here. He seems to find comfort in this time of year and we simple collies get it…..
We pray you all have a Blessed Advent Season and find peace, love and comfort during this Holy season.
While we celebrate collie indoor plumbing even we collies realize the reason for the season….
Here at the Meadow Religion plays a big role in our lives. The old guy is sort of old fashioned and us Collies like that. Why are we writing about that? Well, it gives you a bit of an insight about life here, a fuller picture of who we are. Collies are dogs ya know and the old Guy says if you want to learn about unconditional love of God study a dog. He says ppl can beat the snot out of a dog and it will still love them…. sort of like Jesus ya know. We find that interesting but would like to point out that Jesus was beaten up by us all for our sins, while the beatings of Dogs is just plain senseless for no reason. But, we get what he is saying.
The old guy says if he could love like a dog he would be closer to God but he says he has a part of him that hits back and he sometimes regrets it……
However, while the old guy beats himself up we love him anyways and he is right…. if he could love like we do, always forgiving no matter what, he would be closer to God. But, as it is he loves us for who we are and we love him for who he is…..
To celebrate God we put up this old song by one of Dad’s favorite singers….. we didn’t know he wrote this famous song… but its an old favorite here….
Normally, we don’t enter the fray of the world here at the Meadow. But, today the collies did and if this offends anyone our apologies but we are deeply offended by this topic…..and deeply offended by those “inclusive, open-minded and self proclaimed tolerant” people who find it necessary to hold a Black Mass officially sponsored by Harvard.
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-So, let me get this straight…. Christians in the United States cannot pray in schools, cannot have Bible classes in schools, cannot evangelize at schools and cannot bring up Jesus in any way or form in schools.
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-Thats right….. the orioginal intent of the Founders to not have a state run church has been twisted to drive religion from every public spot possible all in the name of separation of church and state..
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-Okay, but why isn’t that enforced for all religions? In schools across the country they teach about other religions while telling Christians to shut up for if they state their beliefs they offend people. Oaky, so one can;t mention Christianity but can teach other religions? How “inclusive” and “open-mined” and “tolerant” is that? Then to add insult to injury Harvard is sponsoring a Black Mass. Don’t you dare pray to Christ at Harvard in official gatherings, but then you sponsor a Black Mass? Talk about insulting… here is the definition of the Black Mass from Satansheaven a satanic website….
The Black Mass is a magical ceremony and inversion or parody of the Catholic Mass that was indulged in ostensibly for the purpose of mocking God and worshipping the devil; a rite that was said to involve human sacrifice as well as obscenity and blasphemy of horrific proportions.
So, lets make sure we have this correct. You find Christianity offensive, you silence us and tell us to shut up for we might insult someone. We can’t publicly pray ot Christ. But, you “inclusive”, “open-minded” and “tolerant” people find the Black Mass is okay to officially sponsor? Now we may be collies but it seems to us you are trying to suppress Christianity and trying to promote not only non-christian theology but are officially sponsoring an anti-Christian agenda, religion and soemthing that insults Christians. So, it is okay to insult Christians but not others? You have a double standard and you are not “open-minded, tolerant or inclusive” at all. You are just anti-Christian and your sponsoring of this even has revealed your real agenda….. Goes well with you “seperation of church and state” doesn’t it…. You are just liars, and what is Satan… the biggest liar. So, your true agenda is revealed….
Laugh all you want…. God Will NOT be Mocked!!!! So much for Freedom of Religion in the United States. You are free if you are not Christians.. otherwise shut up in public and keep it behind closed doors and don’t practice it in public….
As we journey through the Holiest Season of the Christian year Dad often reflects upon the repentance part of Lent and how important that is to our pathway with God. Being truly sorry for one’s sins and then do your best in turning from them is important. As we collies watch humans struggle with this we are so grateful we are collies for we don’t have to repent for we didn’t cause all of this. 🙂
After all we can’t curse….
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Get down here and play fair you @$##$%#$$#@ Squirrel….
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We can’t have impure thoughts…. Hey, Ellie… lets go out behind the shed… Ooh La La… rowwr….
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We don’t covet, steal or harm others…. “Give me the hammock old guy or you are gonna die!!!”
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REPENT! REPENT! THE END IS NEAR!!!! By the way.. BALL, ball, ball….
Heading into Lent tomorrow we want to hear from you our readers what you will be doing for Lent…..or not doing for Lent….. or giving up…. Let us know…..
Not a exclusive collie post.. WARNING! Ever notice how collies look like John Knox? More about that later….
Sundays are a special day around here. Church! The Lord’s Day! Yes, this is important to me. In today’s world many people frown upon this part of my life and some even scoff and make fun of it. But, that is not the point of this post. This is to give you an insight to who the “Old Guy” as Ginger calls me, is. Sort of a FYI for those who are interested in such things. I know I enjoy learning more about those who are my blogging friends and thier lives. It puts a face on who they are….. some of you know these things since we keep up a email exchange (I welcome those who would like to do email exchanges with me to do so, for I can always use new friends! Beware, sometimes I get behind and a reply might take a week or so to come… but I always reply.!). Anyways, onwards.
My faith is very important to me. I cannot in anyways claim to be a good Christian. I am a awful sinner, one just has to hear me after I hit my fingers with a hammer to figure that one out… LOL. But, having been a lover of Theology and an explorer of all Religions for years I became a Christian. Lutheran-Missouri Synod is my denom for those interested.
As you would know Martin Luther is a hero of mine. His struggle with God, his soul searching for truth and the hardships that involved in some ways are part of my life (in no way does mine come close to his, but the despair of trying to understand, to find the way, to know the truth and to find the True God I understand!). In now way am I comparing myself to Luther, he was a great leader of the Reformation, I am just a average person who went through some of the things he went through, but on a smaller scale. So, his interpretation of the Scriptures, of a loving God, of Salvation through Faith ring true with me in a deep way. I love reading Luther and his loving guides, his bombastic replies, his sometimes course and rough language used with righteous indignation towards those who tried to misrepresent what he was saying. I love the traditions he preserved also. His wife Katie is special to me, for she truly is the only person who could stand up to Luther and correct him if she thought he was wrong. Their exchanges make me laugh…. what a wonderful pair who balanced each other.
But, having said that I must state that Jesus is the focus of my faith. But Luther and so many others help me on my spiritual pathway to him. While I may be a Lutheran I have to state that John Paul II is another of my Christian heroes. What a man of God’s love. A true representation of what I wish we all could be. We need more ppl like him.
Another Christian hero is Zwingli. While I have some deep Theological differences with him, he is a hero fo mine for his faith was deep and he truly represents what a Christian can be in this world. A Priest in more ways than one, a father, a husband, a soldier, a Patriot and a true tool of God’s. Zwingli had a huge heart but he fought (literally) for that which he believed. His death in battle shows that sometimes Christians have to do battle….. His wife Anna was a wonderful woman who was a true inspiration to Zwingli and raised her children in God’s ways. Her help of the poor and needy was extraordinary!
John Calvin I love to read. While I obviously do have differences with his Theology also, his devout faith is beyond compare! His wife Idellette was a true treasure who nursed the sick and helped the ppor. But, Calvin’s works are fabulous! Although I think sometimes he gets too scientific in his explanations of how God pulled off miracles. Leave some mystery to it Calvin! But, what a interesting man he was. This guy was one deep thinking individual!
Another hero is John Knox! Blustery, hard core and one tough guy John KNow wrote some fabulous stuff. He had no fear!He and Calvin and other helped write the Geneva Bible, the Bible the Pilgrims and Puritans brought over with them to the New World. It is one of my main Bibles I use. Oh, I also love the King James as well as the Douay Rheims and the new ESV Lutheran Study Bible. The Geneva Bible by the way preceeded the KJV by some 60 years as one of the earliest English speaking Bibles. John Knox’s grave, believe it or not is under a parking space in a parking lot today. Look it up! 🙂 But, John KNow is a inspiration to me and since he is from Scotland… well, all things Scottish as you all know are welcome here, especially farm equipment and collies! 🙂 By the way our collies are true Presbyterians for they truly raise up an awesome sound to the Lord when something is not true! LOL….
Another person who really is important to my spiritual pathway was part of the Reformation and a leader in her own right….. thats right.. HER! Katarina Zell was the wife of a Lutheran minister named Matthew Zell in Strasbourg. This was on phenomenal woman who exchanged letters and in person discussed theology with Luther, Melanchthon and John Calvin and many other leaders of the Reformation. They all said she was more learned than most who had a doctorate. But, she was much more…. she took care of the poor, the sick and wrote hymns. She raised a family, helped her husband’s ministry while establishing her own non-pulpit ministry and she also took in all refuges who came to her door. This led her to be amongst the first for religious toleration for she took in Anabaptist refugees. These Christian followers were another branch of the Reformation who were persecuted by the Catholics, Reformed and Lutherans for their theological differences. Their descendents live in America to this day and drive around in buggies and do not use machinery as well as other denoms. But, back to Mrs. Zell. So, her taking in of Anabaptists led her to personally stand up in a meeting to challenge the law to persecute the Anabaptists. She was partially successful in that they were not persecuted as long as they passed through the territory and did not stay. Thus opening a safe pathway for them to escape persecution. Her home was always a safe haven for them. For more information about here go here:
Phillip Melanchthon is another hero of the faith of mine. Luther’s right hand he was one smart guy who knew his stuff. But, Phillip was not like Luther in that he would compromise theologically. This led him to be unpopular after Luther’s death for many of the Church felt he was leaving Luther’s teachings to just lead to fusion with the Calvinist Churches for the sake of Unity. Phillip was a genius who could not stand his ground for his beliefs… ready to water them down for the sake of unity many claimed. This may be so, but he taught me one thing valueable on top of all his flashed of genius about the faith…. that we should focus on our common ground with others where we can with Christian love while Luther, Knox, Calvin and Zwingli taught me to never give up your beliefs. Zwingli also taught me this as he truly tried to remain friendly with the Lutherans despite the differences.
Other heroes of the faith who influence me were Dr. Moody, Farel, Bucer, St. Augustine, St. Francis, Pope Leo the Lion, Joan of Arc and the Puritans and Pilgrims who lived their faith (though I disagree with some of their actions!) and their theologians like the Mathers, Winthrop, Matthew Henry and others. Of course I would be remiss if I didn’t mention C.F.W. Walther who led that little band of German Lutheran immigrants in the St. Louis who has become the Church I am lovingly part of.
As you notice much of influence comes from the Reformed branch of the Church. I have to admit, I have that strong Puritan streak in me….while I do have differences I do believe they had it right in their outlook of life bringing religion into all aspects of life like work, relationships, society and morals and other areas. This is not popular nowadays. But, neither is Ginger’s quest for world Domination…… *grin*. This should give you an insight as to who I am…. and why and how I came to this state in my life. Bored? Well, I do lead a pretty personal life, but each day is an adventure….. but now you know a bit about me… the old guy who loves God, but sure wishes he could do better in living a Christian life, but realizes he is a miserable sinner who each day fails, yet always is involved in some abrasive way for standing up for what he believes in, yet always trying to live and let live unless the other side won’t let me live my beliefs…..
Last but not least my other influence are my collies who daily teach me what unconditional love is, how to forgive and to truly love everyone .. they are more Godly than I will ever be…. my Presbyterian Collies…… ever notice how much a collie looks like John Knox? heheh just saying…..
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Luther!!! I can relate to him…..
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Jesus whom I wish I were like.. Mary Magdalene who I can relate too… I would be remiss to not include Ruth from the Bible whose line “Let your people be my people, let your God be my God!” The book of Ruth is my favorite….. the conversion of someone to the faith who wants God to be their God…..
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Okay, come on….. doesn’t this face remind you of the next one? I love John Knox… what a heroic figure….
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Okay, smarties.. no he doesnt look like the old guy… look at Skylight then look at Knox… come on admit it… John KNox!
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John Calvin….. him and Zwingli, Farel and others of the Reformed faith play a huge role in my faith life…. although I am a Lutheran… go figure right?
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The Puritans and Pilgrims whom I really believe we could emulate a bit more without some of the extremes (we all know what that means) and live better as a society…..
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No picture of Katerina Zell, but also my collies who teach me daily how to be more like God…..
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-Lad here! We DO NOT LOOK LIKE JOHN KNOW!!! What do you mean the long nose, the eyes and the hair under our chin? Coincidence I tell you… what do you mean Scottish? BOmbastic? Only when you are wrong…. wait that proves your point? BALL! BALL! BALL! If you don’t throw my ball you will burn! What? Proving the point again?
It was years ago but I can see it in my mind like it was yesterday. We made Apple Crisp and Trevor was standing there looking at me so I got down on my hands and knees and offered him a piece on the fork. He sniffed it and made a disgusting face but I looked at him and said “Eat!” He looked at it and looked at me and slowly, very slowly he opened his mouth and I put it in his mouth and he closed his jaws. He looked at me not moving and I said “Chew!”
He looked up at me like I had lost my mind but he began to chew. All of a sudden his left eyebrow shot up and his eyes went wide and his eyes glowed!
HE swallowed and as I was getting more from the stove he sat in front of me and looked at me in the eyes and looked at my plate and looked again at me. So, I gave him a piece of Apple Crisp. He loved it and it became his favorite food!
From that day on when we made Apple Crisp he would wake up and come over and watch us make it and stick it in the oven. Then, he would lay down in front of the oven and sleep until it was done. He always got his piece after that and when he knew we had Apple Crisp he would run to the fridge waiting for his piece. IT was the only food I ever saw Trevor act like this for.
I will never forget that look in his eyes and his eyebrow shooting up on one side when he ate it for the first time. I never heard of a dog liking apple crisp before or since. Trevor was like that at times. He was just a little boy wrapped up in a big collie body and hid it well from most with his rough exterior and gruff manner… but with me he was just a little kid and a softie at heart… I still miss him… I always will…..
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My old Boo….. Can you believe it has been almost 19 months since the great master in the sky called him home…. somehow I know he is in heaven… eating Apple Crisp as he waits for me….. I love you Trevor forever…..
-we love this picture…. imagine what Mary must’ve thought about it all….of all the people who ever walked the earth this is the one human I want to meet in heaven….. not only because I am in awe of her but because I want to say Thank you to her for saying yes to God…..
-here is the proof as Saint Nick roared by in a Case SC… 🙂
– um… sorry folks I think the old guy had too much Christmas Cheer… ahem….
Collies Of The Meadow 