God’s creature and teacher of God’s gift’s and Love.

Winston an Australian Sheppard was about 16-17 years old when he died. 

I love that dog and I miss him.  Winston taught me about patience and humility.  He was chained to a tire in my garage most of the time we were at home.  Winston always would come to me when called, most times with little delay.  He did this knowing I would chain him to that tire in my garage that limited his travels to about 20 foot.  Enough so he could still stand in the yard, view the passers by on the street and come to the back door. 

I still marvel at the obdience of this dog who came of his own free will to do as I requested.

No matter how long I left Winston alone, he would great me as his long lost best friend forever.  If I failed to feed him on time or missed an occasional feeding the enthusiasm of his greeting was unchanged.  Did I tell you I came to love that dog!

Winston taught me so clearly about the lessons of a loving God, than perhaps any other creature.  Winston and God will wait and wait and wait for their beloved children to remember they still exist!  And when the child finally returns all sins and oversights are forgiven no matter how long it has been.  I am so glad you have let me come back into your presence and world.

I will miss Winston’s gaze.  He watched me like a hawk.  His question seemed always to be “can I go”,  “can I go”, “do I get to go with you today”?  He was the best student of my behavior and knew instinctively, perhaps by how I was dressed and walked that he would be left at home or would get to go along for a ride.

No matter the answer, Winston’s arms were always open for me!  

Winston had faith and trusted his life with me!  He trusted me for food and water.   By nature he was protective of our home so we chained Winston him to a tire heavy.  Havy enough he could pull it a short distance but would have to stop before he could get out to the road. 

As Wisnton grew older, he developed cancer and we had it removed with surgery.  After the surgery he had a stroke which caused him to walk with his head tilted some.   Yet his enthusiastic welcome remained unchanged.

Winston lifted my spirit, was at myside every moment he was allowed and became a part of who I am.   Winston taught me God’s lessons about love, trust, faithfulness, forgiveness, patience and obedience.

So many times I took Winston as a given and gave him little thought.   On every occasion he was 100% present when I took even the briefest of moments to acknowledge he existed.  If I just spoke his name it fullfilled his purpose of being.

I miss you Winston, yet I know you createed a place in my heart!  Forgive me for the many times I forgot you were at my side, waiting, trusting and being ever present for those brief moments I finally took time to let you into the consciousness of my life!

There’s gotta be a heaven for the creatures God sends to us to teach us his loving existence.

Good morning HTLG&M and whoever stops by.

Humidity 100%, heat factor will exceed 100 degrees. Find a cool place to rest your soul.

A racing pigeon is gregarious by nature.  This means pigeon prefer to stay in a group or flock.  Simultaneously Homing pigeons also have a God given drive to return to it’s home and nest.  This instinctive  drive is part of it’s DNA buried in the essence of the pigeon.  A homing pigeon will literally give it’s life to return home.  But at some point to find home, the pigeon must also confront it’s instinct to stay in a group for safety purposes and break away on it’s own if it is to survive.

A successful homing pigeon eventually must be willing to overcome it’s earthly instinct fly to stay in a flock and go it alone which is against nature.

Back in ancient times (the promised land and the Roman Empire), observant humans of the day were keenly aware of the battle for survival and the dangers of mother natures elements.  Water, food and shelter were a first and foremost priority.  Making a trip into the wilderness and new lands in the search for food put ones life on the line.  Keeping in touch with the home folks, family and the local community provided a safety net.

Ancient man recognized the natural instinct a homing pigeon to return home for love of nest and home.  A natural survival partnership was formed and the homing pigeon entered the service of humanity as the first long distance communications system.  This service greatly facilitated the conquests of the Roman Empire.

The idove’s (the spirit of the homing pigeon) DNA serves as the critical life and death magnetic force that calls it home.  Each human being is created in the image of God and as such carries this same DNA.  An instinct, ability, drive and force that calls one to return home.

And amazingly we humans know where home is!  This home is a spiritual place unlike any place on earth.  One who discovers this home encounters joy, peace, fulfillment, and a realization they have found the treasure all humanity seeks and is searching for.

Every human searches and seeks to find the meaning of life and the purpose for which they were born and created.  Not surprisingly, this treasure is buried within the DNA located deep within the soul by the design of the creator.  On this earthly journey to find this treasure, one must apply similar principles to those the homing pigeon / idove must confront.

The treasure is always present and can be unlocked by one who is open to the truth.  In our flesh, we are like the homing pigeon when it comes to the journey we travel to discover our true purpose and home.  When a homing pigeon is released far from home it must first confront it’s earthly instincts and eventually be willing to break away from the flock that is unwilling to leave the release point to embark upon the journey to home.

A homing pigeon at first circles the immediate area of release.  This is a multi purpose maneuver.  It instinctively knows there is safety in numbers and it knows it will take some time to enable it’s god given homing instinct to kick in so it is reluctant by nature to leave the flock.  Simultaneously while flying in circles it searches the sky for predators.

Safety is it’s first and foremost concern.  As the homing pigeons fly’s, it is aware of the direction and intensity of the wind.  A homing pigeon will seek to fly at an altitude most conducive to providing the necessary uplift to obtain the most efficient flight conditions yet will change direction, speed and altitude to avoid a predator.

As the homing pigeon circles it’s homing device (white wattle shaped in form of a heart) located in front of it’s nose is automatically sensing the magnetic pull of the earth.   Ever heard the statement – the truth is right in front of your nose!  The homing pigeon is a really real example of that reality.

As the homing pigeon circles it is satisfying many natural concerns, safety with friends, safety in numbers, a kind a real peer pressure to stay with the group with many eyes ever on the lookout for predators and the all the while listening to the magnetic field of the earth listening to the DNA buried deep within — head for home – head for home.

As the homing pigeons circles the DNA engages   and begins to gain strength, it then stops circling and begins to weave in left and then right in flowing curves  which serve to enable it’s homing instinct to lock on to the magnetic field that ultimately calls and it trust will pull it home.

The ideacon’s behavior description of this early maneuver of the homing pigeon was described by my youth group as the ideacons dance.  And a dance it is!

Once locked on the homing pigeon begins the race home in earnest.  It will leave the flock and accelerate its pace as it locks unto the pull from home.  A homing pigeon ultimately points it’s nose toward home and the route home becomes more direct.

Along the way, like us, the homing pigeon encounters many distractions. Predators of many sorts are all along the route and the homing pigeon must be ever vigilant.  A deviation off course to avoid the predator is common.  The homing pigeon will change altitudes or swing away from danger.  A homing pigeon is constantly assessing flying conditions and looking out for predators.

All the while it it is depending upon that buried DNA that pulls it home.  A homing pigeons nature is similar to teenagers.  Teenagers and young people are gregarious.  They travel in groups and dress alike so they will be different.  Did I write that – oh yes cause it’s the truth!  Ironically they all look the same but that’s to miss the point that they want to discover the person buried within whose is like no other.

It is the natural pressure and instinct to dress alike to be different so they can discover who they are.  Many of mother natures instincts are calling deep from within their bodies even though their hormones are changing them by the day.  Their bodies know what they want, but the child hidden within hasn’t a clue – not yet!  How to cope with this God designed pressure is where the spirit / idove comes into play.

The pressure within is mounting and they do not know what to do or exactly what to search for.  They fear leaving the flock while they staunchly insist they are independent, but in truth they are afraid to stand alone.  The truth is they already know what they need to know 0 they just don’t know they know.  It is buried in their DNA just like the idove.

The ten commandments come from the truth reveled by natural law called mother nature.  It is only a secret to those who close their minds and spirits.

They just don’t know, that they already know the way home, the route to the freedom and independence they long for, the meaning of life and the purpose for which they were born.

Like the homing pigeon, at some point they have to be willing to recognize the predators that live and thrive in peer pressure.  Every body is doing it, alcohol, drugs and sex.  I don’t let my old man and woman tell me what to do!

The dangers peer pressure exerts are many and seek to hold one captive to group think.  Like the homing pigeon one must be willing to recognize the danger by listening to the voice crying out from within.  Head for home!  Head for Home!  Don’t be afraid you know the way!  Trust the DNA buried in your soul!

Trust is necessary – the magnetic filed of the truth will pull you home.  You are free if you are willing to leave the flock of friends and follow the spirit of natures truth which will carry you home.

This drive to come home can overcome blindness and deafness.  Not by sight or sound but by the spirit says the Lord (2 Corinthians 5: 7).

A homing pigeon can be blinded and it’s hearing impaired without impacting it’s ability to find home.  It my not be able to land on the home loft but it will within close proximity of it’s home loft.  A homing pigeon does not return home by recognizing the structure of the terrain on earth.  It finds home by trusting in the magnetic pull of the spirit buried within it’s DNA.

Know that God loves you!!!

To be continued ….