Blooming Crocuses

This morning I looked out my kitchen window to see some golden crocuses smiling up at me through a steady downpour of ice. They certainly can't be very comfortable, but they are persistent little things, and God has equipped them with everything they need to survive the storms that He knew would come. 

 
What a beautiful reminder of God's faithfulness, for He even cares for the most delicate and seemingly insignificant parts of his creation. We can't be more insignificant than a flower. Jesus even commented on this testimony to God's faithfulness in creation. "Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" Matthew 6:26.

But notice that God doesn't make life easy for his creations. He doesn't wrap them up in a warm fuzzy ball where nothing can hurt them, because then they would never grow strong. Instead, he gives them just the strength they need for each difficulty they face.

Tactical Planning Doug Style

Doug has discovered that, whenever I put on my shoes, I'm getting ready to leave the house. Though this fact may indirectly comment on my attitude toward shoes, its real significance lies in Doug's reaction to his new-found knowledge.

Doug has long been combating the problem of my leaving for work every morning. He has tried various tactics to keep me home: whining, barking, running away, hiding, placing his body behind my car, etc. None of them have been successful thus far. His newest scheme is to place himself between my shoe and my foot and prevent me from putting the shoe on. He places his head on my knee and gives me puppy-dog eyes and silently begs me to stay and pet him all day long. In the process he covers my clothing in husky hair. Gotta love that dog.