Pondering Life Early On A Monday

Pondering Life with a pup early Monday!

That's where my head has been ever since our pup, full of love, always excited, awakened me around 4 a.m.. She of course was anticipating another custom meal of hand shredded Sam's Rotisserie Chicken, green beans and vitamin laden dry mix.

She's almost square with so much weight gain since her puppy mill rescue, and yes, she has her own Toy Box. Coach never had it so good, though his 14 years with us laid the ground work within our hearts.

Yes, this 78 year old heart is much more sentimental than in my younger days when I threw scraps to a cage full of beagles, working dogs. My attitude then, "Well, you ain't never caught a rabbit and you ain't no friend of mine," as Elvis once sung.

Once the pup is exhausted, which takes only about 10 minutes of retrieving a squeaky toy, she's back in bed and I'm into my devotional time.

This morning my read continues in the Psalms, with vs.119:15-16 standing out.

Psalms 119:15-16 NLT

"I will study your commandments and reflect on your ways. I will delight in your decrees and not forget your word."

Fifty-three years of such and I still find myself intrigued with the origin of these 66 Books of the Canon. Reconstructed between somewhere between 296- 419 A.D. (word "Canon" first mentioned I'm told) then archeologically authenticated and better yet, still speak to me each morning.

The "Word" through the text is alive, given the Christ in me; the long held hope of all heaven!

Penetrating billions of galaxies and at time such love manifest through lesser creatures like CoCo, my pup!

Centuries went into these texts, and with Google by my side, I learn more each morning.

Like the story of the annoying 13 year old, assigned as a volunteer alongside Israeli archaeologist Prof. Gabriel Barkay in 1979. To keep him occupied, "I told Nathan the repository had to be as clean as his mother’s kitchen, even if he had to lick it". The young boy's assignment to clean the bottom of an old grave.

It was only later that the boy tugged again at the shirt-tail of this now some 80 year old professor, excited by the fact that while tapping on the bottom of the grave, he had heard a hollow sound. Without permission, with hammer in hand and no concern for antiquity, he had recklessly broken open a two square foot enclosure from under the bottom of the grave.

What he uncovered contained tiny 99% silver scrolls, so tightly wrapped that it would takes months of meticulous maneuvers to open them. Yet, inside would be found a 2600 year old text known as Ketef Hinnom I, verifying the "Priestly Blessing" so often shared as found in

Numbers 6:24-26 NIV:

“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” ’

Since you cared sufficiently to read this far, may this be so with you today!!