Can You Hear Me?

Yesterday on a brisk, windy, sunny day we took our dog Allie to the beach. This is always a very special, joyous day for her. She is a Siberian Husky. When you own a husky you're told to never let them off their leash. They have a natural inborn instinct to run. Over the years we have slowly trained her. On our beach visits we let her off the leash. She runs a little ways, jumping, sniffing and playing and then always stops, looks back and waits for us to catch up to her.

This particular day seemed no different than others before it. We strolled along the white, long stretch of sand. The chill of the wind was stinging our faces, as Allie frolicked in the water, chasing dogs and birds. Allie stopped and waited every so often just as she had been trained.

The sun was lowering behind a low patch of fluffy, cotton white clouds, signaling an end to our day. Approaching the part of the beach that we attach Allie to her leash, she abruptly turned and began running the opposite direction. We cried out, "Allie, Allie...STOP, come back here!" She continued to run, farther and farther. Our cries soon becoming muffled, lost in the pounding crash of the waves, beating against the sand.

We continued to walk in the direction she was running. We were certain she would eventually stop, look back and dash towards us. She began to appear as though she was a mirage, to far away to tell if it was really her. I began to run, worried that she might scale the steep cliff and run into the heavy, rush hour traffic on Pacific Coast Highway.

She had slowed down, but was still very far ahead. She now started to approach the few people on the beach, a woman at first, and then a couple. Each time she would walk away. She appeared to realize that she was lost. Walking away from the couple, with no one else around, she stood alone in the middle of the beach, a long isolated view in front of her. I began to get closer as she stood in one place. Her head was faced up towards the orange, red & yellow sky of the setting sun. She was howling, loud piercing cries, crying out because she was scared and lost. She had gone too far and now realized her mistake.



Out of breath, I started to walk, passing a couple that was staring at Allie. The wife looked at me with large, concerned eyes, "Oh, she's crying...she thinks she's lost." Finally close enough for her to hear me I shouted, "Allie, come here, I'm right here!" She quickly stopped her howl, snapped her head down, stared frozen for a moment and sprinted towards me. Her eyes squinting through the blowing wind, tongue hanging out of her mouth, tail wagging, and wait a minute...is that a smile? Can dogs smile? It sure looked like it to me. Reaching me, she jumped up on me and kissed me.

This story sadly represents our walk with the Lord. We are safely beside him, protected, loved and happy. All of a sudden something catches our attention. It looks fun, challenging, exciting...our mind starts to run. Next our body begins to chase after it also. We are going full speed in the wrong direction. Getting caught up in the moment, enjoying our fleshly, worldly desires.

The Lord is calling us to come back. He wants to protect us. We have gotten too far away. We no longer hear his cries. They are drowned out by the loud crashing waves of this world. Pride, vanity, money, pornography, sex, drugs and alcohol...we are trapped in the middle of their false allure.

Never finding the happiness we had hoped for, our life begins to fall apart around us. We stand alone on the long, lonely, isolated stretch of sand. Crying, calling out to the Lord, "Where are you Heavenly Father? I need you. I'm so scared and alone. Please come and help me."

He is there running behind you, trying to catch up and bring you home. Calling you home to the safety of his loving and forgiving protection. Just call out to him, he will hear you. You are never out of his sight. He is waiting for you to stop running. Just like huskies, we have a natural instinct to run after the things of this world. These things only give us fleeting, momentary pleasure. Followed by our guilt, unhappiness and self-loathing. Stop running and look to the Lord for peace, shelter, comfort, love and complete happiness. He is waiting for you.

"Submit to God and be at peace with him; in this way prosperity will come to you. Accept instruction from his mouth and lay up his words in your heart. If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored: If you remove wickedness far from your tent and assign your nuggets to the dust, your gold of Ophir to the rocks in the ravines, then the Almighty will be your gold, the choicest of silver for you. Surely you will find delight in the Almighty and will lift up your face to God. You will pray to him, and he will hear you, and you will fullfill your vows. What you decide on will be done, and light will shine on your ways. When men are brought low and you say, "Lift them up!" then he will save the downcast. He will deliver even one who is not innocent, through the cleanness of your hands."
Job 22:21-30

Friday-I Survived

After Thursday's incident I wasn't looking forward to Friday. I think that has to be a first, who doesn't look forward to Friday? I pulled into the parking lot and didn't see my boss's car. He must've had a meeting this morning, I thought with a quick sigh of relief. I hurried up the stairs (I'm always running late...it's a HUGE problem for me.) I took a deep breath, opened the door and silence. I asked Marsha, "Where is everybody?" Oh, one of them is headed up to Mammoth and the other one is sick today. Whew...now I only have to deal with the phone calls (much easier than getting ridiculed in person.)

I asked her if he said anything more about the whole box thing, and she said, "He said that he had looked in that office the day before too and never saw the box, either." Hmmm, at least he admitted to something.

He called in and was being really nice.
Boss: Hey, what are you doing?
Me: Oh you know...me and Marsha are just sitting here getting ready to smoke a big fatty and then try to find some more boxes." I couldn't resist...I had to say something because it had bugged me so much that he made me seem like a moron on drugs.

Boss: Excuse me?
Me: Yep...just getting ready to smoke out.

Boss: (Laughing)...Ooohhh okay you girls have fun and whatever you have to do to feel better is fine with me.
Me: (smiling) Okay...let me get Marsha for you.

I usually try to joke about situations when something is tense and uncomfortable. It just seems like making light of everything always makes the situation seem less stressful. It is something I only do in work situations though, at home, everybody just GETS IT from my mouth! But, since I don't want to get fired...I always hold back at work.

Now I'm looking forward to a relaxing, sleep filled (keep your fingers crossed) weekend.

Teenage Prescription Drug Abuse-Are You Their Dealer?

I've recently been exposed to the world of drug abuse. I know what you're thinking...wake up it's been a problem for years! Well I know that, BUT I had no idea about the HUGE prescription drug problem going on in our High Schools, Middle Schools, and even Elementary Schools.

Most parents check and snoop around their kids rooms for cigarettes, pot, cocaine, crystal meth and ecstasy, but I wonder how many of you actually are checking your own medicine cabinets? Do you ever think about keeping track of how many pills you have left in your prescription bottles? What about those pain pills that you were given during your last visit to the doctor or the dentist, you know...the ones that you never finished and thought, "Oh well I will just save it for the next time I have a migraine, feel sick or my back is hurting." We all have the secret little "left over" stash for emergency purposes. Do you even remember which bottle's you had? Would you know if any of your "stash" went missing?

Unfortunately, this is the current problem facing our kids today. No longer do they have to go out and try to locate a drug dealer or scrounge up enough money to buy the drugs. You have become their new "FREE" drug dealer. Right in the comfort of their own home, they can get high from their, loving, caring and trusting parents. That's right, you have not only become your children's drug dealer but also the neighborhood supplier.

More and more teenagers are taking these drugs in large quantities and then mixing it with alcohol (yes, probably also supplied by you). They will then sell their extra pills to their friends, WOW, what incredibly smart little entrepreneurs you've raised! You have now started getting the whole neighborhood high, with the excuse of, "I didn't know, I couldn't remember how many pills I had left in the bottle" or "I thought I lost the bottle so I had it refilled". I will give you two words to think about "HEATH LEDGER".

These kids do not discriminate...if you have prescription pills of any kind, Vicodin, Darvocet Loritab, sleeping pills, anti-anxiety pills, pills for depression, hyper-activity pills...you name it they'll take it! Everyone seems to have a pill for every problem, which means easy access for our children. WAKE UP PARENTS!! We need to lock up ALL of our medication and keep a list of how many pills are in each bottle.

Open your eyes and see that we may be giving our children a prescription for a lifetime of abuse, anger, self-loathing, misery, and even death...why... because WE JUST DIDN'T REALIZE!