As much as I enjoy hosting ALL authors, as you know, fellow PBG & BWG authors hold a special place in my heart. Today's guest is new to me and our blog so please give a great big southern 'Hello!' to Megan Lee.....
Let
Everything that has Breath…
I
have always loved animals. Growing up, we had horses, dogs, hamsters,
parakeets, fish, and even hermit crabs. Throughout my life I’ve dealt with some
tough things, and God has lent me some of His creatures as therapeutic means by
which to deal with less-than-stellar situations.
We
have two dogs now: Chase, our ten-year-old retired racing greyhound, and
Trinity, a five-year-old Italian greyhound. When my husband and I were dealing
with incurable infertility, my dogs brought me joy. They sensed when I was sad
and needed furry friends around me. They have been treasures, and they need us—in
many of the same ways that children would. My husband and I believe that God hand-picked
and sent them to us for comfort.
The
Bible tells us that we can learn from animals: “But ask the animals, and they
will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you” (Job 12:7) and
“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, yet
your heavenly Father feeds them” (Matthew 6:26).
Not
only can we glean knowledge from their behaviors, we can also observe that
God’s plan for us is for our welfare. Every beast in the forest is His. He
knows every cattle on the hill and He knows the instant a sparrow falls from
the sky. So how much more concerned is He with our deepest concerns and
worries. Just as He supplies an animal’s sustenance and needs, He knows our
cares before we tell Him.
Our
dogs, Chase and Trinity, are daily evidence that God is good. He loves us and
wants the very best for us. Tokens of His love and the daily reminders of it, come
in various forms and from many sources…and sometimes they come from God’s
creation itself. “Let everything that
has breath praise the Lord…” (Psalm 150:6)
What a lovely and touching story, Megan...you're right, all animals (especially our pets) are definitely something to treasure,Thanks for sharing!
Megan
Whitson Lee is a wife, a mom of two greyhounds, an editor for Pelican Book
Group, and a high school English teacher. Her novel, Captives, won the 2016 Director's Choice Award and was a finalist
for a Selah Award in the women's contemporary fiction category at Blue Ridge
Mountain Christian Writers Conference.
Megan
writes women's contemporary and historical fiction featuring characters
standing at the crossroads of major life decisions, crises of faith, and moral
dilemmas. Her novels depict real-life problems, address universal spiritual and
moral struggles, and offer messages of hope, recovery, and redemption through
God’s saving grace.
Her newest YA book, Suburban Dangers can be found at Amazon in Print and for Kindle and at Pelican Book Group. Find out more about Megan by visiting her Website and connecting with her on Facebook, Twitter (@MeganWhitsonLee), Instagram and Pinterest.
Hope you enjoyed today's guest post and that you'll join me each week for Tuesday Treasures, Thursday Thoughts and Saturday Spotlight!
Until next time, take care and God Bless.
PamT
23 comments:
Thanks for hosting me, Pamela!
Lovely sentiments and lovely cover art as well. Congrats on your novel, Megan.
Thank you, Jacqueline. Nicola Martinez at Pelican does an amazing job with the covers.
What adorable pets! I do believe animals lower our blood pressure. Who doesn't want unconditional love?
Thanks for sharing with us, Megan.
I agree! Animals are a wonderful gift from God to us.
Thanks Barbara and Erin! Yes, they are pretty adorable if I do so say so myself, and they are so sweet. I have read several articles about how they help lower blood pressure, reduce stress, and extend our lives. Truly a gift from God.
Thank you so much for the post. It was lovely.
Thank you, Megan , for this lovely post, and Pam, for hosting her. I absolutely have tears in my eyes. Losing our Labradors is still way too heart-wrenching even though it's been years for each of the three. I honestly think animals are angels on earth. Best of luck with your YA!
Enjoyed your post! Thank you! I am an animal lover and they may be angels on earth. Good luck with your book!
Wonderful post, Megan! I'm not an "animal person" to the degree I can see many others are, but I do love my little Pomeranian, Kona...and I still desperately miss Boo, the Pom I lost three years ago. They have a way of becoming a part of you.
I read Suburban Dangers, and found it utterly fascinating, despite the heartbreaking aspects of the story line. I'll write a review as soon as I find a minute to do so. Great job!
Kara, thank you. I'm glad y enjoyed. Tena, I agree that animals are amazing creatures and God uses them all the time. Tanya, I'm so sorry about your labs. I lost a dachshund/terrier mix four years ago, and it was so painful. Even though we have new dogs now, I have not forgotten my little Tessa. Delia, I love Pomeranians. They are so adorable (and sweet). They really do become such a huge part of your life. Thank you for reading Suburban Dangers! I appreciate your review!
A heart-warming post, Megan. My dog Shilo, a mixed terrier, has been a blessing from when we got her, but particularly after I fell and fractured my shoulder and tore the muscles in my right arm and hand. I know she understands when I talk to her and cry. She means everything to me.
Carole Price
Twisted Vines
Sour Grapes
and soon Vineyard Prey
Megan, Suburban Dangers is on my list. I wish I could read every book published by Pelican. My editor reminded me of that same passage in Job when we communicated over the wolf in my story Found in the Woods.
My dog is a big yellow lab mix. Sometimes I think he knows what I'm thinking!
Thanks, ladies for the great post. I enjoyed all the comments as well.
Carole, I think dogs (and some cat too) are unbelievably perceptive when it comes to illness and injury. They understand hurt and pain, and they stick close to us when we're enduring it. It's as though God reaches out to us through them and says, "I'm here." (By the way, I love the names of your books).
LoRee, lab mixes are wonderful. I had a black lab mixed with a basset hound many years ago. She was the sweetest thing. I think you're right about dogs knowing what we think. Their perception is keen. I tell my husband all the time that our dogs look into our eyes and "they just know." :) The human/animal bond is a beautiful thing.
I love this post! Animals are certainly a gift from God. I too have noticed how dogs are especially sensitive to our feelings and seem to want to snuggle up more when we're down. I live on a mini-farm and all the animals have brought me healing from past (and present) traumas in some way. As for Megan Lee's books - my teenage daughter and I have read every one that she has published and highly recommend them!
Megan, I enjoyed your post. It reminded me I wanted to get your award-wining book. I just bought Captives to read when I go on vacation. Can't wait for both - vacation and to read Captives. Zoe
Lisa, you are so right that animals are therapeutic for present and past traumas. Thank you also for your continued support! Zoe, thank you so much for reading. I appreciate you!
Animals have always been near and dear to my heart. They teach us so many things and give unconditional love that warms my soul. As I write, I have one cat wedged into the chair next to me and another at my feet. My aww moments of the day. Thanks for sharing, Megan!
Jan, I love how you weave cats into your stories. It adds so much. I agree that they teach us things. The Bible tells us they do. 😊
Great post, Megan. I think animals are very intuitive and bring so much joy and comfort into our lives. Thanks for sharing!
I saw this yesterday and then promptly forgot to read it when I had time later in the day (another senior moment). So true how God uses all his creation as he sees fit. Seems like he picked wonderful companions in your dogs to be with you through difficult times and to share life with. He sent a cat one time when Koda was being attacked by a dog. Early morning, no one out. Dog comes rushing out of someone's garage and starts attacking Koda. I'm screaming "help, help". No one comes out. I call out "Help me Jesus" and the dog stops attacking Koda and stares ahead. I look and in the middle of the street is a cat. The irony is Koda absolutely hated cats. But the dog never attacked him again and I was able to pick up Koda and carry him around the block where I could put his collar on that had come off during the fight. Thankfully he wasn't hurt much. I think a little bruised, but no major damage. I truly believe too that Koda was sent to us by God during a time when we needed him. Son had tough teen years and we were barely talking at times, but Koda pulled us all together. We would laugh at his antics and have something in common. Pets are wonderful gifts from God indeed.
betty
Betty, thank you for posting the story about KodaI remember seeing your posts about Koda, and he was such a sweet dog. It is amazing how things like that happen. It's funny that God would send a cat to distract a dog from fighting another dog, but that's the way He works. Sometimes He sends the least likely to help us...and that includes dogs and cats. :)
Thanks for reading, Michael!
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