<![CDATA[ST MATTHEW BY THE LAKE LUTHERAN CHURCH

<![CDATA[ST MATTHEW BY THE LAKE LUTHERAN CHURCH - Pet Covid Blog]]>Tue, 07 Jan 2025 16:09:54 -0800Weebly<![CDATA[Blog Post 29 Mr. Willie]]>Tue, 24 Nov 2020 18:11:13 GMThttp://stmatthewbythelake.org/pet-covid-blog/blog-post-29-mr-willieHi everyone, they call me Mr. Willie, I live with Cheryl and Perley. I too am a member of the St. Matthew by the Lake Pet family. I live with many other cats and dogs who are fed, cared for, and claimed by Cheryl and Perley. We have quite a family of animals and we all have our different personalities and quirks too. My favorite pastime is taking a nap. I really like to take naps and I nap in all kinds of positions that you humans may think are rather silly or uncomfortable. I assure you I love each and every position I find to take a nap. During this pandemic caused by COVID-19 I wonder how many others out there are finding time to just take a nap. Maybe you are napping because of all the chores you are doing at home. Maybe you are napping and hoping that when you wake up you will find out this whole pandemic thing is a dream. Unfortunately, by now we all know it is real and its going to be with us longer than any of us like. To make it through this long haul of staying at home so much more, refraining from travel and not being able to see many family members over the holidays, we all need to take a kind of nap. Be gentle with ourselves and each other and take a break or nap from our impatience or frustrations with our friends or neighbors. This pandemic has made it so difficult for so many people. I believe we all need to nap, take a break and with God’s help through Jesus and the Holy Spirit we can do what it says in Ephesians 4:32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you.

]]><![CDATA[Blog Post 28 Laffite]]>Wed, 11 Nov 2020 19:23:25 GMThttp://stmatthewbythelake.org/pet-covid-blog/blog-post-28-laffiteHi everyone, my name is Laffite, Cheryl and Perley claim me which makes me a member of the St. Matthew by the Lake pet family. I am bit of a mystery, partly because I only come to eat. Some would call me a Feral or wild cat and my life is a mystery to all of you humans. Life as a Feral or wild cat is not an easy one. Food, something most people take for granted is not something my kind can be assured we will have each and every day. My life story and the story of my parents may have been one of abuse. It is not unusual for someone to bag us kittens up in a bag and leave us along a road somewhere because we are not wanted. I am fortunate, now I have Cheryl and Perley who feed me each day. It is so good to have food on a regular basis. I hear there are people in this world who have similar experiences to us cats. Parents die or parents decide they don’t want their kids. That is soooo sad that it is even hard for me, a feral cat to understand. Humans are not all like Cheryl and Perley and those humans who take in children who do not have homes and adopt them as their own. That is such great love. God has that kind of love for all of us too, feral cats, all creatures, orphan children, adopted children and children who are born into families who love them. To God, our circumstances do not matter, we are all loved and claimed as children or creatures of God. That is amazing. I hope we will all consider someone’s circumstances before we judge them to be wild or whatever and remember that God is love and we need to be loving as well.

]]><![CDATA[Blog Post 27 Vinnie]]>Thu, 22 Oct 2020 19:54:14 GMThttp://stmatthewbythelake.org/pet-covid-blog/blog-post-27-vinnieHi everyone, my name is Vinnie, I am happy to report that I am a member of the St. Matthew by the Lake pet family. I live with Cheryl and Perley and I don’t always spend my time out in the snow, but I do enjoy the cooler weather. You see, God has given me this beautiful black coat to keep me warm even when I am outside. Us cats are different than humans, our coats are part of our bodies and they tend to get thicker in winter to keep us warm when the outside temperature begins to drop. We are protected, even in snow like the white stuff you see me with in my picture. Humans, on the other hand must wear coats or some type of clothes to protect them from the cold, the snow, and the rain. Of course, there is another kind of protection provided by God through Christ. That protection is the gospel, the good news of Jesus who showed us how to love so much he ended up dying on a cross. Then God raised him from the dead. This gives us hope and protection from all that seek to harm us. The apostle Paul in Ephesians 6 talks about putting on the full armor of God; the belt of truth around our waist, the breastplate of righteousness, and as shoes for our feet we put on that which will make us ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. We are given more armor which includes a shield of faith and the helmet of salvation. At first all these things may appear heavy and hinder us but they really don’t. God’s armor is specially designed to be light and protect us at the same time. I think that is pretty cool.

]]><![CDATA[Blog Post 26 Muggy]]>Sat, 03 Oct 2020 16:40:20 GMThttp://stmatthewbythelake.org/pet-covid-blog/blog-post-26-muggyHi everyone, I am soooo delighted to be a member of the St. Matthew by the Lake pet family. I was rescued from a puppy mill over in Missouri. I was in such sad shape that my they had to shave my coat which led my current mom to think I was a Chihuahua. When she found out I was a Yorkshire Terrier she still brought me home. I believe it is amazing how we see different people and think one thing about them and their personality. Then, when we take time to get to know him or her, we find out he or she is an entirely different individual. Looks can be deceiving to humans and sometimes to us dogs as well. Although, I believe God has given us dogs a greater sense about what people we can and can’t trust. What is really cool is that God sees us and who we are the first time. We can’t hide our true self from God. This includes the wonderful qualities of generosity and compassion we have in our heart as well as those not so good ones. God accepts us for who we are and helps us become genuinely good from the surface of our skin the depth of our hearts.

]]><![CDATA[Blog Post 25 Tom]]>Fri, 25 Sep 2020 20:40:55 GMThttp://stmatthewbythelake.org/pet-covid-blog/blog-post-25-tomHi everyone, my name is Tom, but my Mom, Cheryl, called me Tompus. She thought Tom was to formal for my personality. I was a living member of the St. Matthew by the Lake pet family until I finished my life on this earth. When I was a kitten I loved to run and jump and play all day. Then I got a little older and realized that I was the big guy in the house. The inside/outside kitties went by my rules in the house. I took care of everything inside that a kitty was supposed to do. I patrolled at night. I was my Mom’s sunshine. I believe we all need some sunshine in our lives these days; not just that sun that shines outdoors but also the figurative sunshine that brightens our days and lifts our spirits. We all need that sunshine that gives us that sense of joy and peace that seems to try to evade us all in this COVID-19 wilderness. About 9 ½ months of the year 2020 have come and gone. People from all over the world have spent over 80% of those 9 ½ months wondering in this COVID-19 wilderness. Our “house” rules for living safely and worshiping safely have all changed. Maintaining a distance from our friends, whom we used to freely hug, and wearing masks have, for most of us, become our current normal. Life right now is not all that easy and it is easy to lose hope. The good news is that when we look toward Jesus Christ and his resurrection, we can see rays of sunshine and hope.

]]><![CDATA[Blog Post 24 Graylee]]>Fri, 04 Sep 2020 16:40:12 GMThttp://stmatthewbythelake.org/pet-covid-blog/blog-post-24-grayleeHello everyone, I’m Graylee, another one of the pets that live with Cheryl and Perley. We are many and they love us all. As you can see by my picture, I am a grey kitty. During these days when it is raining and the skies are grey, like my fur, and we can’t see an end to this pandemic it is easy to feel sad. We may wonder when this pandemic will end and feel like we have totally lost our summer of 2020. School is back in session and many vacations didn’t happen this year. Some people near and dear to us have gotten sick or even lost their lives to this virus or another disease. It can be a sad time. The good news for me is that I am a member of a big family of pets and we do look out for one another. I used to be what is called a Ferrell cat, out there all alone fending for myself, until Cheryl and Perley took me in. It is so great being a member of a big family and even better now that I know I am a member of an even greater St. Matthew by the Lake pet family. We all know there is an even bigger family and that is God’s family. Knowing we are members of God’s family can give us comfort in the middle of all this stuff. As members of God’s family we have hope of healing when we get sick and hope because of Jesus’ resurrection when one of our family members passes from this life. We know this life is not the end.

]]><![CDATA[Blog Post 23 Gracie]]>Wed, 26 Aug 2020 23:58:24 GMThttp://stmatthewbythelake.org/pet-covid-blog/blog-post-23-gracieMy name is Gracie and I believe I am one of the graces that has come from this pandemic. I live with Elizabeth and have brought grace to her and her home. I keep her company and make sure there is never a dull moment in her life these days. Of course, if you ask Elizabeth, she might tell you the grace goes both ways. She provides for me, loves me, takes me to obedience school and has a heart full of grace for me. I think we make a good team and don’t believe she would have taken me into her home if it weren’t for this COVID-19 pandemic. I have heard there are other pets being adopted during this time in order to relieve some of the tension and feelings of isolation caused by this pandemic. I believe adopting a dog or other pet during this pandemic is a grand idea. Pets, especially us dogs, are the best at demonstrating what it means to show grace and forgiveness. During these trying times we are thankful for the grace given us by God and we know the grace and forgiveness we show to one another is especially important. Humans and pets are all working and living so differently it is easy to forget or fail to do some of those things we have always remembered to do in the past. Who would have thought that the members and friends of St. Matthew by the Lake would be gathering outside of a perfectly sound building for worship on Sunday? I hear that outdoor worship service is a work in progress. Grace is especially needed as this service evolves and changes each week. God is Good All the time All the time, God is Good.

]]><![CDATA[blog post 22 Shelly]]>Tue, 18 Aug 2020 01:53:16 GMThttp://stmatthewbythelake.org/pet-covid-blog/blog-post-22-shellyHi everyone, my current name is Shelly and I was adopted by Jane back in 2019. I have been a member of the St. Matthew by the Lake pet family for 6 years, since I was just a little kitten. My previous owner, was also a member of St. Matthew by the Lake and in 2019, he left this life for a better one. His name was Steve and he called me Tux. I am a Tortoise shell cat and the name Shelly does fit with who I am and my unique colors. All of us cats, humans and even dogs are unique. God made us all different in how we look and the different talents that we have. My biggest talent these days is to help Jane through this weird time and all the changes we have had to make due to this COVID-19 pandemic. I make her life more interesting and fun especially when she tries to knit or do anything at her desk. Just imagine all the fun a cat can have with yarn. We all have to use our imagination these days. Through our imagination we find unique ways to stay connected, to each other and to our Lord and Savior. Through it all I believe we discover talents and gifts God has given us that we previously did not realize we had.
The apostle Paul says in Romans 12:6-7 We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us; prophesy, in proportion to faith, ministry ,in ministering; the teacher, in teaching the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.

]]><![CDATA[Blog Post 21 Porter]]>Wed, 12 Aug 2020 20:00:46 GMThttp://stmatthewbythelake.org/pet-covid-blog/blog-post-21-porterHi everyone, my name is Porter, I live with Cheryl and Perley and I am a proud member of the St. Matthew by the Lake Pet Family. ¬†Cheryl and Perley care for many of us pets and we are not all kitties. As you can see by my pick, I am a dog. Cheryl and Perley include dogs in their pet family just like St. Matthew by the Lake includes all kinds of pets and people in its family. God includes many more kinds of creatures and people in God‚Äôs family.¬† We are all sizes, shapes, and colors which makes for a truly amazing family of God.
I almost forgot, I am the chief guard dog here at my house which might surprise some of you if you look at my size.¬† I am not a big German Shepherd like Mia or Zoe but I can still stand guard for Cheryl and Perley.¬† It is not always our physical size that equips us for guard duty.¬† God gives strength to us all and our faith is what matters most especially since it too is a gift from God.¬† Jesus says in Matthew 17:20 ‚Äú‚Ä¶For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‚ÄòMove from here to there,‚Äô and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.‚Äù

]]><![CDATA[Blog Post 20 Robbie]]>Thu, 23 Jul 2020 14:52:56 GMThttp://stmatthewbythelake.org/pet-covid-blog/blog-post-20-robbieHi everyone, my name is Robbie, I live with Cheryl and Perley and I am a proud member of the St. Matthew by the Lake Pet Family. At one time I was living with a neighbor, and then I had this problem with my eye so Cheryl and Perley brought me to their home, to live with them. I am really thankful to Cheryl and Perley for taking care of not just my eye, but all of my needs. While Cheryl and Perley take care of me, I do my best to listen to their directions. I want to be sure that I understand what it is they want or what they say. Cheryl would tell you I have this look on my face of “What?” Hearing them speak and understanding are entirely two different things. Somehow I believe it can be that way reading scripture. We can read and hear but don’t always understand what Jesus or a particular gospel writer is trying to explain or tell us. I hear that Pastor is going to start a Bible study to help everyone with reading and listening to scripture. Since we are still in the COVID-19 pandemic thing, she is going to have it outside at or near shelter No. 1 at KY Dam village, where everyone can sit 6 or more feet apart and study God’s word while sitting in God’s creation. Rumor is, the first session will be Monday August 3 at 9:00 a.m. I hope many will come.

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