“My friend Phil has a theory that the Lord, having made teenagers, felt constrained to make amends and so created the Golden Retriever.” – Mary McGrory

As someone who loves the mountains and the ocean, and who grew up in the rolling hills of the English North Downs behind the seaside town of Folkestone, I am a little surprised at how the flat topography of rural Eastern North Carolina is growing on me. This place is beautiful!

Tuesday I drove down around Pine Tops and Macclesfield with Max Retriever, on the way to get his beauty treatment from a new groomer. It was a perfect fall day and the cotton fields shone in the sun like each boll had its own light.

The groomer – Kayleigh – works at the Majestic Woof Lodge on NC 42 around half way from Tarboro to Wilson. Max liked his new friend, and she did a great job. Of course it helps that he is such a good boy – so cooperative and easy to work with.

So this morning’s post is first and foremost my attempt to capture that brief moment a Golden Retriever looks well groomed! You know, before he plays in the dirt, walks through hedges, magically turns his lovely coat into a matted mess and finds something putrid and decaying to roll around in.

This post is also to restate what I have said often over the years: I am so grateful for the amazing dogs that have found their way into my life. Lassie, Bertha, Mozart, Scout and now Max.

One of my key intentions in life, always, is simply to be as good a man as my dog thinks I am. And the truth resident in that intention is that, often, we do rise to the level of the belief others have in us.

Jesus believes in us!

And when we are filled with self-doubt, or the people in our lives do not believe in us enough, it helps to remember we can turn to Jesus, who says this: “All things are possible for the one who believes” (Mark 4:23). Or, as Peterson paraphrased the interaction, “Jesus said, ‘If? There are no ifs among believers. Anything can happen.’”

All I am saying is maybe my dog knows something. Jesus certainly knows. Plus – and this is very important – not only does Jesus ask you to believe, at the same time Jesus believes in you.

And that is a beautiful truth; not only beautiful but healing too – DEREK

Not only does Jesus ask you to believe, at the same time Jesus believes in you.