Please pray for my family as we are going to be putting our dog to sleep this week because his quality of life has taken a turn for the worse, and the way it looks it will be sooner than later. There are many mixed feelings about how pets are to be perceived, some count them as family and others not so much. My daughter Tiasia got this dog when she was 17 and he has never left her side over the past 11 years. He sleeps next to her at night and lays next to her during the day. His name is Happeny, and he is a big lap dog who loves the couch. He is named after a best friend that my son-in-law had who died in a car accident at the time Tiasia got Happeny. Happeny has never really been outside much except to go to the bathroom and watch over the kids as they play. He has been in the lives of my grandchildren from the day they were born. None of them have lived a day without Happeny being a part of it. For the children, they have learned responsibility, unconditional love, faithfulness, presence, surrender, loyalty, and very soon they will learn sadness, grief, and loss. I reflect on Nathan’s parable to David that brought about his confession about Uriah and Bathsheba and can see that God had an understanding of the love for a pet. It is written in *2 Samuel 12:1 Then the Lord sent Nathan to David. And he came to him, and said to him: “There were two men in one city, one rich and the other poor. 2 The rich man had exceedingly many flocks and herds. 3 But the poor man had nothing, except one little ewe lamb which he had bought and nourished; and it grew up together with him and with his children. It ate of his own food and drank from his own cup and lay in his bosom; and it was like a daughter to him.* As Tiasia prepares to say goodbye to her best friend, please pray for us all for when a huge part of your life is gone, it will take a while to adapt and accept the absence. We believe that the Lord has blessed our family with Happeny and we are all heartbroken at what is coming. We have no plans to get another pet because our home is so full of people, but if we change our minds, I plan on using the names of the dogs in Psalm 23 that David mentioned, “Surely” “Goodness” and “Mercy”. These are the names of the three sheepdogs who watch over God’s flock: “Surely, Goodness and Mercy will follow me all the days of my life.” (Stole this joke from someone else.) Trying to light hearted in what is going to be a heart wrenching and challenging week for my family.  Please pray that my family feels God’s presence, goodness and mercy over the coming days and months. Thank you my beloved for your prayers and support.