For Your Own Good

My dog had to go to the vet last Monday. Sunny got all of his shots, his teeth cleaned, and stocked with frontline and heartguard for a year. (Needless to say, that was a pricey visit.)

While cleaning his teeth, they found two growths in his mouth that had to be removed. Poor little guy.

Once we got Sunny home that night, he was so loopy. He would not lay down and kept whimpering. I tried to give him extra love and wished that I could fully explain to him that what he went through was for his own good.

All he knew was that mom dropped him off at a place that knocked him out and made him wake up sore. He also knew that dad came to pick him up. Mean ol' mom... & Dad, the hero... ;)

I wanted him to understand that he had to have anesthesia to keep him still while they cleaned his teeth. And that his teeth needed to be cleaned to keep him healthy. And, that they had to cut the growths away so that they would not get worse. I wanted to tell him that this was for his own good.

Then, I thought about the way that tough situations affect me. I wonder, Why? Why me, Lord? Why am I hurting? Why did you leave me in that place? Why did I have to go through such an ordeal? Will it get better? 

All the while, my heavenly Father is right beside me, wrapping his arms around me. I can hear him whisper, This is for your own good. You can't see it. It doesn't make sense but there is a greater purpose. Just trust me. I love you and I do good things for you. 

Even when it doesn't feel like it in the moment, we have this promise:
Romans 8:28~ And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God.

Smile :) donnamusing

Your Next Good Read...

In our techno age, there are so many resources for finding a good book. So my question is, how do you find your next good read?

Our local library has its entire catalog online. You can even choose to hold a book for pick-up or load one on your e-reader, all in your jammies, day or night.

Do you still love to scour the shelves of your local book store, feeling the book, checking out the cover, maybe even opening it for a quick sniff? This method will never grow old to me, especially, if I'm traipsing through the aisles with a frappuccino in my hand.

Do you have a kindle, nook, or other e-reader? Does it offer you suggestions? Do you miss flipping the pages of a paper novel?

Do you check out the NY Times Bestseller list? If so, do you find this an effective tool?

Do you wait until it becomes a movie? I must admit that I have done this on occasion. I mean, if it was good enough to make it to the silver screen, then it should be a good read. But I only like to watch the movie after I've read the book. Doing it the other way just feels wrong.

Do you scroll through Amazon's book reviews? (I have found many spoilers this way so tread with caution. Thank you to those who have enough common sense to actually write the words, "Spoiler Alert" at the top of their reviews.)

Speaking of spoilers... I've found many people who post spoilers right in their Facebook statuses. The worst was, "I can't believe they killed ________!" I won't ruin it for you by filling in the blank!

How has technology changed your reading habits? Do you find you read more or less?

And by the way, what was the last good book you read?

Smile :) donnamusing