I Love Pit Bulls

"THE PITBULL TERRIER, poor fellow, is now almost obsolete, and what a shame! Will no one endeavour bring him back to his rightful own? Not to his former, much abused--pitifully abused--state, which was actually the cause of his downfall, but to the position of a true dog among dogs. Never was there a more noble, well -meaning, loyal, or courageous dog on the face of the earth. While perhaps some of the inferior types of this class were nothing much to look upon, yet those of the better specimens were really splendid-appearing animals and worthy of a place in any home or show ring. This terrier did not lose his reputation, and with it his popularity, because of any fault of his own.

Those who handled him, those who made him fight to maim and even kill other dogs, always at the grave risk of his own life, ultimately caused his decent down the grade rapidly toward oblivion. Left to himself, he was no more of a fighter than many of our other dogs which are held in the highest respect, and under the right supervision he was one of the most peaceful creatures living. Of course, it must be admitted that he could not really boast of blue blood, nor could he exactly claim a true-to-type strain, but, nevertheless, if other breeds could be carefully developed and raised to a standard recognized by the American Kennel Club, why could he not have enjoyed this honour? Surely, he well deserved it. So let us sincerely hope that some sympathetic person, or group of persons, may sooner or later take up his cause and carry it through until he has a fitting place in canine history."
John Lynn Leonard, DVM 1928-->I like him.

LOVE this picture!! Look at the protection this little boy has! :) :)

At first I though, haha! nice set-up picture! Then I looked more closely and I think that pit bull might be sitting there just because that's where the baby is. Look at its face...its waiting for a command/is wondering why everyone (at least 2 people) has gathered around. He/she feels the need to protect the helpless little thing. And the position of its back feet make it look like its just getting up into a sitting position from laying down ("the people in charge are here, better pay attention to what they tell me to do").

There are, of course, more recent pictures of children and pit bulls lovin on each other but I love these old ones. :) Also, back in the day, when most people treated dogs like dogs and they 100% knew their place and what they were supposed to do, I feel like there was more of a protection vibe (is that just me?). There was no question that the dogs knew they were, in fact, dogs and no misbehavior would be tolerated. So they did what they knew their owners wanted from them and there were generally less behavior problems (with all breeds). Look at any true working dog today and you will see that.

Another thing...in all these pictures, the dogs are turning their heads away from the camera (and people!) to some degree. They are acknowledging the presence of the person/people but not looking directly at them. No eye contact...respect! They know who's boss. (which goes along with the paragraph above.) As long as you don't come too close to my kids. I know enough to show you respect (you are after all human) but my job is to protect them and I take my job very seriously.

And one more thing. I love pit bulls. If you have a problem with that, get over it. I've done tons of research and been around many pit bulls and pit bull mixes and know the real breed. If you are just buying into to all that media crap without finding out for yourself whether it's true or not (with any subject!) by actually being around a lot of different pit bulls, stop and start thinking for yourself. I'm not trying to make people mad or start a fight or anything. I just love pit bulls! If you have a valid personal reason why you don't, fine. We'll work on you. ;)

And if you don't believe pit bulls are evil, yay! We have something in common! :)

That's What Faith Can Do

Okay I have another song for you. :)

Everybody falls sometimes
Gotta find the strength to rise
From the ashes and make a new beginning
Anyone can feel the ache
You think it’s more than you can take
But you're stronger, stronger than you know
Don’t you give up now
The sun will soon be shining
You gotta face the clouds
To find the silver lining

I’ve seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn’t ever end
Even when the sky is falling
I’ve seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That’s what faith can do

It doesn’t matter what you’ve heard
Impossible is not a word
It’s just a reason for someone not to try
Everybody’s scared to death
When they decide to take that step
Out on the water
It’ll be alright
Life is so much more
Than what your eyes are seeing
You will find your way
If you keep believing

I’ve seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn’t ever end
Even when the sky is falling
I’ve seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That’s what faith can do

Overcome the odds
You don't have a chance
(That’s what faith can do)
When the world says you can’t
It’ll tell you that you can!

I’ve seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn’t ever end
Even when the sky is falling
And I’ve seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That’s what faith can do
That's what faith can do!
Even if you fall sometimes
You will have the strength to rise

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTNBWv33-QI
This is my prayer for all the hurting people.

Beloved

I came across this song like ten minutes ago and just stopped what I was doing and listened to the words. So good! It's called Beloved.

Love of my life, look deep in my eyes.
There you will find what you need.
Give me your life the lust and the lies,
the past you're afraid I might see.
You've been running away from me.
You're my beloved, lover I'm yours.
Death shall not part us, it's you I died for.
For better or worse, forever we'll be,
My love it unites us and it binds you to Me.
It's a mystery.
Love of my life, look deep in my eyes.
There you will find what you need.
I'm the giver of life. I'll clothe you in white,
My immaculate bride you will be.
Oh come running home to me.
You're my beloved, lover I'm yours.
Death shall not part us, it's you I died for.
For better or worse, forever we'll be,
My love it unites us and it binds you to Me.
It's a mystery.
You've been, mistress my wife,
chasing lovers that won't satisy.
Won't you let Me make you My wife?
You will drink of My lips and you'll taste new life.
You're my beloved, lover I'm yours.
Death shall not part us, it's you I died for.
For better or worse, forever we'll be,
My love it unites us and it binds you to Me.
It's a mystery.

"Can you imagine that you are the beloved of the God of the universe? God loved you so much that He gave His only Son that if you believe in Him you will not die but have Everlasting Life...Greater love has no one than this; than to lay down one's life for his friends. But God demonstrates His own love towards us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."


The last part was in the video... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CUGTIWCFyo

Cops in Action

I first noticed something strange was going on when I saw a cop car with flashing lights speeding by on the street that my bedroom faces. I watched it turn off the slow, house-lined street and fly through a parking lot to get to the other side of the block. Of course, it made me really curious and I realized that I had already seen a police car drive by a few times (going both ways). I stood up and followed the car with my eyes until it turned and went out of sight. I paused before sitting back down.


The close cars are parked in the end of the CCU parking lot, the street is where everything
happened, and the next parking lot over is where the cop turned and sped through.


During the next 10 minutes, there were at least three police cars and one motorcycle cop circling the block that my building is next to (and that my bedroom window faces) and cutting through an alley, sometimes with the lights flashing and sometimes dark. Every once in a while I would hear a siren go off but never longer than about two seconds. I continued to notice a suspicious green car driving back and forth and coming and going from the same alley the cops were coming and going from. I was obsessing over what might be happening and thinking of all these different scenarios that only happen in movies. I was thinking deep down that nothing was actually going to happen because real life is not 24. Eventually the commotion died down and I forgot about it.


The view from sitting at my desk.


About 45 minutes later, as I was sitting in my room listening to music and doing homework (with the window open because it's so nice out!), I slowly became aware of a dog barking. I barely even acknowledged it since dogs bark in that neighborhood all the time. But when I heard a man with a huge voice yelling "Put your hands up!!" over and over, my head snapped up as I realized what that meant. I immediately paused the music and leaped out of my chair to lean over and get a better look down the street.




Soooo...I wear contacts. But the thing is, if I wear them ALL day EVERY day, my eyes get really dry and bloodshot and I look like I'm about to die. So I wasn't wearing contacts when I heard the commotion. Classes were over for the day and I wasn't planning on driving anywhere so, of course, I didn't need them...right?




Needless to say, it was hard to make anything out at first since it was mass chaos and all the way down the street. But slowly I saw that there were multiple cops (and by multiple I mean around 7) and a dog running in a circle around one. I was so certain that there was going to be a police dog there because of the barking but that dog appeared to be just a loose dog. I was confused. Then I made out the standard German Shepherd ears and saw that the dog was a light tan German Shepherd; the absence of black threw me off. This dog was extremely excited. He/she knew he/she did a great job. :)


The space between the middle tree and the tree on the far left is where the arrest
happened. It's a bigger space and easier to see in real life. :)

I was riveted to the spot for a minute then sat down after one police car drove away. I guess that one held the person they caught since everyone else was just milling or standing around. Some were knocking on the door to the house right next to the alley. Big news! A few minutes later, I watched as 4 or 5 police cars (including a huge SUV) drove down the street followed by 3 motorcycle cops.

I won't get robbed tonight!

The 10 Virgins

In chapel the other day someone read the parable of the 10 virgins (Matthew 25). It's about 10 young women (probably barely in their teens) who are waiting for their groom. 5 of these women bring oil for their lamps so they will stay lit longer while the other 5 don't-they only have enough oil to last them maybe a couple hours. Eventually, all 10 of these beautiful, untouched women fall asleep. The town crier is the first to see the groom coming from a little way off (around midnight) and he yells the news to everyone. The women wake up and the 5 who didn't bring extra oil see their lights going out. They frantically ask the 5 prepared women to let them have some of their oil. Instead of giving them half of their oil and having everyone's lights go out, they tell the others to go into town and buy some more oil. They do but by the time they get back, the groom has arrived and is inside with the 5 prepared women. The unprepared women knock and when the groom opens the door, he simply says that he doesn't know them.

I literally lost my breath as he read that part and the full meaning was revealed. The women who waited until the groom was almost there before getting prepared were only denied access to that marriage, but people who wait to accept Jesus until the last minute may be too late for eternity with Him. He will deny knowing them in front of God and they will not be allowed to enter Heaven. That is absolutely the most terrifying thing I've ever heard and it really stood out to me when that parable was read.

Another thing that stuck out was that all 10 women were untouched, beautiful virgins. They all had perfect records but it didn't matter for the 5 that were unprepared. It isn't how you have lived your life that allows you to enter Heaven, it is whether or not you are prepared when the time actually comes. Also, even though it might be late and the "groom" doesn't seem to be coming until the next day, it's not worth it to find yourself unprepared when it turns out that He is coming and you're not ready.

The guy who read the parable went on to talk about a conversation he had with a friend about that parable. When the friend asked him who he would want to be, his reply was one of the 5 women who were prepared. His friend's answer was another eye opener; he said that he would want to be the town crier.

Imagine if you were so incredibly close to God that you were the very first person of the town/city/world to see Him coming.

Isaiah 55

"'Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; hear me that your soul may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David. See, I have made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander of the peoples. Surely you will summon nations you know not, and nations that do not know you will hasten to you, because of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has endowed you with splendor.' Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon. 'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,' declares the Lord. 'As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Instead of the thornbush will grow the pine tree, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow. This will be for the Lord's renown, for an everlasting sign, which will not be destroyed.'"