As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord~
Joshua 24:15
Our Sweet Farm Dog
Rest in peace, dearest "Lily"~

July 2003-October 4, 2005

Author Unknown
You can shed tears that he is gone
or you can smile because he has lived.

You can close your eyes and pray that he'll come back
or you can open your eyes and see all he's left.

Your heart can be empty because you can't see him
or you can be full of the love you shared.

You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday
or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday.

You can remember him and only that he's gone
or you can cherish his memory and let it live on.

You can cry and close your mind, be empty and turn your
back
or you can do what he'd want: smile, open your eyes, love
and go on.

I stood by your bed last night,
I came to have a peep.
I could see that you were crying,
You found it hard to sleep.

I whined to you softly
as you brushed away a tear,
"It's me, I haven't left you,
I'm well, I'm fine, I'm here."

I was close to you at breakfast,
I watched you pour the tea,
You were thinking of the many times,
your hands reached down to me.

I was with you at the shops today,
I longed to take your parcels,
I wish I could do more.

I was with you at my grave today,
You tend it with such care.
I want to reassure you,
that I am not lying there.

I walked with you towards the house,
as you fumbled for your key.
I gently put my paw on you,
I smiled and said "it's me."

You looked so very tired,
and sank into a chair.
I tried so hard to let you know,
that I was standing there.

It's possible for me to be
so near you everyday.
To say to you with certainty,
"I never went away."

You sat there very quietly,
then smiled, I think you knew.
That in the stillness of that evening,
I was very close to you.

The day is over...
I smile and watch you yawning
and say "good-night,
God bless, I'll see you in the morning."


And when the time is right
for you to cross the brief divide,
I'll rush across to greet you
and we'll stand, side by side.

I have so many things to show you,
there is so much for you to see.
Be patient, live your journey out ...
then come home to be with me.

Loved Ones Are With You Always,
Wherever You May Go
"They will not go quietly, the pets
who've shared our lives.
know their spirit still survives.

Old habits still make us think
we hear a voice at the door.
Or step back when we drop
a tasty morsel on the floor.

Our feet still go around the place
the food dish used to be.
And, sometimes, coming home
at night, we miss them terribly.

Although time may bring new friends
and a new food dish to fill, that one
place in our hearts belongs to them...
and always will.
Author Unknown~
Many of you reading this have just lost a precious pet...a beloved
friend.  If you are reading this,  you might very well  be suffering
from a broken heart right now.  
Sometimes I come to this page myself, and remember each and
every dog I've lost over the years.  
My heart is still hurting today over each one.
You can never replace a beloved pet.  You can only be thankful for
the years you had together and look forward to being with your
precious one again someday.  I truly believe the Lord will give us
the desires of our hearts if we trust in Him.
I hope and pray you will be comforted and be able to love
again....and find that joy to warm your heart once more with a
new special cocker baby~
With much love,
Sue

I am Your Dog


I am your dog, and I have a little something I'd like to whisper in your ear. I
know that you humans lead busy lives. Some have to work, some have
children to raise. It always seems like you are running here and there, often
much too fast, often never noticing the truly grand things in life. Look down
at me now, while you sit there at your computer. See the way my dark
brown eyes look at yours? They are slightly cloudy now. That comes with
age. The gray hairs are beginning to ring my soft muzzle.

You smile at me; I see love in your eyes. What do you see in mine? Do you
see a spirit? A soul inside, who loves you as no other could in the world? A
spirit that would forgive all trespasses of prior wrong doing for just a simple
moment of your time? That is all I ask. To slow down, if even for a few
minutes to be with me. So many times you have been saddened by the
words you read on that screen, of other of my kind, passing. Sometimes we
die young and oh so quickly, sometimes so suddenly it wrenches your heart
out of your throat. Sometimes, we age so slowly before your eyes that you
may not even seem to know until the very end, when we look at you with
grizzled muzzles and cataract clouded eyes. Still the love is always there,
even when we must take that long sleep, to run free in a distant land.

I may not be here tomorrow; I may not be here next week. Someday you
will shed the water from your eyes, that humans have when deep grief fills
their souls, and you will be angry at yourself that you did not have just "One
more day" with me. Because I love you so, your sorrow touches my spirit
and grieves me. We have NOW, together. So come, sit down here next to
me on the floor, and look deep into my eyes. What do you see? If you look
hard and deep enough we will talk, you and I, heart to heart. Come to me
not as "alpha" or as "trainer" or even "Mom or Dad," come to me as a living
soul and stroke my fur and let us look deep into one another's eyes, and talk.

I may tell you something about the fun of chasing a tennis ball, or I may tell
you something profound about myself, or even life in general. You decided
to have me in your life because you wanted a soul to share such things with.
Someone very different from you, and here I am. I am a dog, but I am alive.
I feel emotion, I feel physical senses, and I can revel in the differences of our
spirits and souls. I do not think of you as a "Dog on two feet" -- I know what
you are. You are human, in all your quirkiness, and I love you still.

Now, come sit with me, on the floor. Enter my world, and let time slow
down if only for 15 minutes. Look deep into my eyes, and whisper to my
ears. Speak with your heart, with your joy and I will know your true self.
We may not have tomorrow, and life is oh so very short.

--Love, (on behalf of canines everywhere)
Author Unknown
Click on the cocker to email me~
Where good dogs are buried
For if the dog be well remembered,
if sometimes he leaps through your dreams actual as in life,
eyes kindling, laughing, begging,
it matters not where the dog sleeps.
On a hill where the wind is unrebuked
and the trees are roaring,
or beside a stream he knew in puppyhood,
or somewhere in the flatness of a land
where most exhilarating cattle graze.  
and nothing is gained and nothing is lost--if memory lives.  
But there is one best place to bury a dog.
If you bury him in this spot he will come to you when you call---
come to you over the grim, dim frontiers of death,
and down the well remembered path to your side again.  
And though you call a dozen living dogs to heel
they shall not growl at him nor resent him coming,
for he belongs there.
People may scoff at you,
who see no lightest blade of grass bent by his footfall,
who hear no whimper,
people who may never really have had a dog.  
Smile at them, for you shall know something that is hidden from them,
The one best place to bury a good dog is in the heart of his master!

~~ Author Unknown   
When an animal dies that has been especially
close to someone here, that pet goes to
Rainbow Bridge.

There are meadows and hills for all of our
special friends so they can run and play
together.

There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and
our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are
restored to health and vigor; those who were
hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again,
just as we remember them in our dreams of
days and times gone by.

The animals are happy and content, except for
one small thing; they each miss someone very
special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day
comes when one suddenly stops and looks into
the distance. His bright eyes are intent; His
eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run
from the group, flying over the green grass, his
legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your
special friend finally meet, you cling together in
joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The
happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands
again caress the beloved head, and you look once
more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long
gone from your life but never absent from your
heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

Author unknown...
High Calling Cockers
The Rainbow Bridge
LOSS OF A DOG

If you've ever known the joyful sound
Of barks that fill the air-
A sloppy kiss, a friendly paw,
A quiet adoring stare-
If you've ever had a special friend
To share a tear or two,
Or maybe just a wagging tail
To lift you when you're blue-
If you've ever felt the wrenching pain
That only death can send,
Then you have lost
Not just a dog-
You've truly lost a friend.
But God is good and treasures love
And there at Heaven's gate-
A sloppy kiss, a joyful bark-
Your precious friend awaits.
WITHOUT ME

When tomorrow starts without me
And I'm not there to see;
The sun will rise and find your eyes,
All filled with tears for me.

I wish so much you wouldn't cry
The way you did today
Remembering how I'd lay my head
In your lap that special way.

I know how much you love me,
As much as I love you,
And each time that you think of me,
I know you'll miss me too.

But when tomorrow starts without me,
Please try to understand,
That an Angel came and called my name,
And petted me with her hand.

She said my place was ready,
In Heaven far above.
And that I'd have to leave behind,
All those I dearly love.

But, as I turned to heel away,
A tear fell from my eye.
For all my life I never thought,
That I would have to die.

I had so much to live for,
So many sits and downs to do,
That it seemed almost impossible,
That I was leaving you.

I thought about our lives together,
I know you must be sad.
I thought of all the love we shared,
And all the fun we had.

Remember how I'd nudge your hand,
And poke you with my nose.
The squirrel I would gladly chase,
The bad guy "I'd bark and hold".

If I could relive yesterday,
Just even for a little while,
I'd wag my tail and kiss you,
Just so I could see you smile.

But, then I fully realized,
That this could never be;
For emptiness and memories,
Will take the place of me.

And when I thought of treats and toys
I might miss come tomorrow,
I thought of you and when I did
My dog-heart filled with sorrow.

But then I walked through Heaven's Gate
And felt so much at home;
As God looked down and smiled at me
From His beautiful throne.

He said, This is eternity,
And now we welcome you.
Today your life on earth is past,
But here it starts anew.

I promise no tomorrow
But today will always last;
For you see, each day's the same day
There's no longing for the past.

Now you have been so faithful,
So trusting, loyal and true.
Though there were times you did things,
You knew you shouldn't do.

But good dogs are forgiven,
And now at last you're free.
So won't you sit here by my side,
And wait right here with me?

So when tomorrow starts without me,
Don't think we're far apart.
For every time you think of me,
I'm right there, in your heart.
and other expressions of the heart~
He loves you, and He cares.
He will take your sadness and bring you joy.
Happy moments, praise God.
Quiet moments, worship God.
Painful moments, trust God.
********
May the Lord always bless the US Postal worker to
had the love of God in his or her heart to send that
love to the little girl in the story below.  And may we
always remember this story.  Help it to show us the
way of blessing others with the love of Christ our
Lord.
Our 14 year old dog, Abbey, died last month. The day
after she died, my 4 year old daughter Meredith was
crying and talking about how much she missed Abbey.  
She asked if we could write a letter to God so that when
Abbey got to heaven, God would recognize her. I told
her that I thought we could so she dictated these words:

Dear God,

Will you please take care of my dog? She died yesterday
and is with you in heaven.  I miss her very much. I am
happy that you let me have her as my dog even though
she got sick.

I hope you will play with her.  She likes to play with
balls and to swim.  I am sending a picture of her so
when you see her you will know that she is my dog.  I
really miss her.

Love, Meredith.

We put the letter in an envelope with a picture of Abbey
and Meredith and addressed it to God/Heaven. We put
our return address on it. Then Meredith pasted several
stamps on the front of the envelope because she said it
would take lots of stamps to get the letter all the way to
heaven. That afternoon she dropped it into the letter box
at the post office.. A few days later, she asked if God
had gotten the letter yet. I told her that I thought He had.

Yesterday, there was a package wrapped in gold paper
on our front porch addressed, 'To Meredith', in an
unfamiliar hand.  Meredith opened it. Inside was a book
by Mr. Rogers called, 'When a Pet Dies.' Taped to the
inside front cover was the letter we had written to God in
its opened envelope.  On the opposite page was the
picture of Abbey & Meredith and this note:


Dear Meredith,

Abbey arrived safely in heaven.  Having the picture was
a big help. I recognized Abbey right away.

Abbey isn't sick anymore. Her spirit is here with me just
like it stays in your heart. Abbey loved being your dog.
Since we don't need our bodies in heaven, I don't have
any pockets to keep your picture in, so I am sending it
back to you in this little book for you to keep and have
something to remember Abbey by.

Thank you for the beautiful letter and thank your mother
for helping you write it and sending it to me. What a
wonderful mother you have. I picked her especially for
you.

I send my blessings every day and remember that I love
you very much.

By the way, I'm easy to find, I am wherever there is love.

Love,
God
To view an absolutely
heart-touching story about a
wonderful dog named "Skidboot",
please click on the link below.  It
is less than 5 minutes long, but
will make your day!
"Skidboot"
Treasured Friend
I lost a treasured friend today
The little dog who used to lay
Her gentle head upon my knee
And share her silent thoughts with me...

She'll come no longer to my call
Retrieve no more her favorite ball
A voice far greater than my own
Has called her to His golden throne.

Although me eyes are filled with tears,
I thank Him for the happy years
He let her spend down here with me
And for her love and loyalty.

When it is time for me to go
And join her there, this much I know...
I shall not fear the transient dark
For she will greet me with her bark.

Author Unknown
Please scroll down for more
~Songs of the Heart~