You Make Beautiful Things

I continue to be amazed at how the city of Nashville is pulling together to help one another. Something that was so devastating is becoming life giving. Something that was so ugly is becoming beautiful.

This is what God does. He takes heart ache and transforms it into joy.

If you let him.

And we're not just talking about flood damage here. He takes broken relationships and restores them. He takes death and creates new life. He takes mistakes and turns them into wisdom.

If you let him.

Saturday Night Fever

On Saturday night, Harper and I watched the new Chipmunk's movie. I'll be honest and tell you that it wasn't the best movie ever. But, Harper liked all of the singing and dancing. In fact, it inspired her to do a little dancing of her own.

Tea Party

I went to a tea party at Harper's baby school yesterday. It was great. I love watching her interact with her friends and teachers. To be honest, the party was a little bitter sweet. On Monday, Harper is moving up to the next classroom. She's the first one in her class to "graduate". She's been spending time with her new classmates and teachers and is excited about the whole thing. Just between you and me, I think she's most excited about being able to play on the big kid playground. I LOVE Harper's current teachers. They go above and beyond the call of duty every day. We're really going to miss them. Good thing they're right down the hall from her new classroom - I'm sure we'll be making a few visits.

Good Dog or Bad Dog?

I read a recent scientific report that said that good dogs have a longer life expectancy than bad dogs. No kidding, right? I know I've wanted to ring a couple bad dog's necks in my day.

Well, this study was talking about natural life expectancy (not owner induced premature departure). These researchers were trying to figure out how animal disposition may have evolved. They tested whether "proactive personalities" (high levels of activity, boldness, and aggression) are related to a fast “pace of life” (high rates of growth, mortality, and energy expenditure). They found that a dog's personality can greatly influence it's life span.

Before I tell you about the data, a couple interesting things about dogs to keep in mind: First, all dog breeds are the same species. That means that a hairless chihuahua and an old English sheep dog are the same species. It boggles my mind that such genetic variation can exist with in one species. For comparison, think about people. We humans like to think we are so unique. We may be a little taller or shorter or thinner or fatter or have a slightly different color hair than the guy next to us, but really, we all kind of look the same. Not so for dogs. Secondly, it's a pretty well established fact that little dogs live longer than big dogs. This study took that into account and did some fancy statistical normalizations to even the playing field in that respect.

What this study uncovered was pretty interesting. They found a connection between a dog's temperament, energy expenditure, obedience, and aggressiveness and it's lifespan. For instance, more obedient dogs like German shepherds and bichon frisés live longer for their size than hard-to-train dogs like beagles and pomeranians. And peaceful dogs like newfoundlands and labradors that tend to burn less energy per kilogram live longer than do active or aggressive dogs like fox terriers, great danes, and rottweilers.

I think this is an interesting finding even if it isn't all that surprising. It's pretty well accepted that people who are constantly stressed out or angry all the time or even people who don't get enough quality sleep can develop a variety of health problems that could shorten their life expectancy. What is interesting to me is that this trend seems to be naturally present in dogs - animals who wouldn't necessarily have all the reasons to be stressed, angry, tired, etc. that people may have. Dogs have different inherent "pace of life" levels that aren't necessarily based on their preset circumstances. And just the way that they approach life in general can have a big impact on their overall life expectancy. It's another classic example of your quality of life being an intricate combination of your genetics and your environment.

So what about you? Are you a good dog or a bad dog? Is your approach to life affecting your quality of life (or even your life span)?

It's Bad

I am in awe of how bad the flooding around here actually is. I knew it was bad, but now that I see pictures taken by my family and friends, I realize how truly lucky we were. Here are just a few of the pictures that people sent me or posted on facebook.

Not sure why anyone would continue to drive through standing water like that. You're only asking for trouble.

Case in point... Rob took this one of several trucks that got swept away and ended up in a river bed.

My friend Lynette took this one of a man being rescued near her house.

My friend Steve took this one just up the street from where he lives.

These next few were taken by a friend who lives about 45 minutes North West of Nashville. The flooding is extremely widespread.

Trying to make the best of the situation at a hotel in East Nashville

While this is a terrible situation, I am proud of the way my community is coming together to help one another. If you live in this neck of the woods, please consider volunteering or donating to relief efforts.

And The Rain Came Down

This is what our back yard usually looks like.

You can't tell from this picture, but right behind that tree line runs a little river.

This is what our back yard looked like on Saturday and Sunday. The little river wasn't so little anymore.

This is what our back yard looks like this morning. What a difference a day makes.

We were very lucky. Some of our friends and neighbors weren't. Please keep the people of Middle Tennessee in your prayers.

Re-evaluating

What is paramount in your relationships?
Love?
Friendship?
Kindness?
Service?
Forgiveness?

Or is it more like
Being right?
Having your needs met?
Convenience?

Tough questions.

I think my default mode is to want to be right and have my needs met and have convenient interactions with people.

However, I'm learning that relationships that are worth investing in require much more of me than what my default mode will offer. Sometimes (probably all the time) it's way better to put love ahead of the desire to be right. Service above having my own needs met. Kindness and friendship above personal convenience.

What is your default mode? Do you need to re-prioritize? Do you need to recognize and take a step back from relationships with messed up priorities?

I'm going to be re-evaluating what kind of things I bring to the table in my relationships. I want my default mode to be love, kindness, friendship, service, and forgiveness. How about you? What do you bring to the table?