Prepare Ye

from the September 2015 Messenger First, thank you to everyone who was upset that my article got bumped to the back of the newsletter last month. My Big Guy made it up to me with some fun toys. He has also been bringing me to more things at the churches. I’ve been to council and committee meetings, and Luther League meetings. I even came to the Joint Worship service and picnic. I’m a little nervous around people, and would rather come to meet you than to have you come to meet me. I appreciate people wanting to get to know me, but I’m nervous. That’s just how I am. I’m afraid that when people get to know me that they won’t like me.  So I’ll bark and growl when people come to the Parsonage or up to see My Big Guy in his office. I don’t mean anything by it; I’m just nervous and afraid. My Big Guy told me about when he was a Little Guy, that he was really shy and quiet. He used to have a stutter that he was really embarrassed by. He was afraid to get up and speak in front of

from the October 2015 Messenger My Big Guy confuses me. A lot. I’ve messed up a few times recently. While I’ve been pretty good about only chewing on the stuff My Big Guy gives me, I chewed through a couple of toys. And a blanket. And a chair leg. I’m working on not barking and growling at you when you come to the parsonage or his office or near him, but some times I feel I have to show that I’m tough. One time when he went away on Sunday (I know which day Sunday is because I don’t get to come with him, even though he puts on a collar that goes all around his neck just like mine) and I made a mess in the house. I usually can wait until he gets home, but this time, I couldn’t hold it. Then there was the time I tripped him. I really wanted him to play with me and the new toy he gave me. I thought he was going one way, and he went another way. I got behind him and he fell down. He hit the chair I had been chewing on and landed hard. I was so glad that he wasn’t hurt, only

I just don't understand things sometimes. I'm used to writing an article at the end of the month for My Big Guy's newsletter, but now he is telling me because my articles are more popular than his are (he's not taking that well) my articles are going on the line, and I have to write a new article for my webpage. Being a celebrity is not easy. He was reading the lessons for next Sunday to me last night. That is something he does because it gets him to start thinking ahead. I wish he'd think ahead more on belly rubs, but I'll save that for another article since I'm having to write so much stuff. The lesson is about what he called the Commandments. There are ten of them. And you are all supposed to follow them. You all must be really well trained. I only know five commands, and, between you and me, I don't always do so good at them. Especially "Stay." I don't like that one. When My Big Guy tells me that, it usually means h

This is my manuscript for my sermon for October 4 on the Narrative Lectionary text of Exodus 1:8-14 and 3:1-15. I don't read from my manuscript, so what I actually preached was different. There is a lot that has happened between last week’s lesson and todays. So let me catch you up. We left Jacob who was just given the new name of Israel and was about to be reunited with his older brother Esau. Their reconciliation went well. Israel and his 12 sons settled into the land of Canaan. One of Israel’s sons was Joseph, who was so annoying to other brothers they sold him into slavery. Despite being a slave, Joseph managed to rise into power in Egypt, eventually becoming second in power, only being behind the Pharaoh in control. Because of his gift to interpret visions, Joseph saw a famine coming and planned ahead so others could survive. When the famine struck the land of Canaan, Israel sent some of his sons to Egypt to see if there was food there. After a series of shenanigan