​Hi 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.

​Hi 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.