“You can say ‘no,’” he said softly, in a whisper, so our son would not hear.
Immediately, my guard went up. It was Christmas time, so my planner was bulging its squares with lists of things to buy and to wrap and to bake. What was my husband going to propose that required this ominous-sounding, front-loaded disclaimer?
Well, it turns out that there was this puppy . . .
A St. Bernard puppy – the dream puppy of my youngest son’s heart.
Could I really say ‘no’?
Well, sure, I could have, but how much cuteness would I have missed at the sight of a small boy’s head resting on a big dog’s sprawled body? How much joy and laughter would have been absent each Christmas without Tucker’s howling descant that floats atop our family’s singing of seasonal carols?
It seems to me that many of life’s loveliest gifts come to us with a built-in refusal clause. I’ve identified three gifts God extends to those who are growing up in Christ, and I’m writing about them today over at Living By Design.
Of course, you can say no… but I hope you will trust for grace to unwrap each one in this Season of Yes!
Every blessing to Christmas to you!
It seems to me that many of life’s loveliest gifts come to us with a built-in refusal clause. I’ve identified three gifts God extends to those who are growing up in Christ, and I’m writing about them today over at @bydesignorg. Join me there?
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Living Our Days 
Hopping over to read the rest! Tucker is adorable!
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You must be a dog lover!
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Heading over to read the rest; and while I know you are meaning more than the Yes you said my answer would have been no! LOL. But my family would know better than to ask me about a dog/puppy anyway. My husband has been hinting it might be nice to get another cat and I find I can’t even say yes to that right now and they’re pretty simple pets.
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Big dogs are definitely NOT for everyone!
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LOVE THIS, Michele!! Thanks so much!
Is the picture over on the website of Tucker as a puppy?
Have a great afternoon!
Judy
>
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They did a great job over there with the pictures, but I am sorry to say that none of them are of Tucker. When we got him, I was completely undigital, so there are no good pictures available for a puppy Tucker.
Thanks for reading, Judy!
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A wonderful Post for our World on Tuesday, thank you for sharing.
Stay healthy and well.
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Thank you!
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Michele, what a blessing this post was for me, all things I needed to hear TODAY! I love the idea of watching the sunrise each day throughout Advent!
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I’m doing that again this year, and it’s such a centering practice. I have to take time to look out the window and say, “Yes… this is a new day. The light has arrived–and the LIGHT is here!”
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Michele, how I loved this post! It seems these gifts coming in slowing down and being still enough to receive them. When we open our hearts to the Lord’s promptings, sometimes the most beautiful gifts are offered! I’ve been beach-walking at sunrise most days this month, and I always marvel at how different each sunrise is. I just can’t seem to stop marveling and snapping pictures. God knows how to gift us with His presence, doesn’t He?
Have a wonderful Christmas, my friend.
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Beach walking sounds so wonderful, especially at sunrise!
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I’m so very grateful for each of those gifts. I hope I’m living in yes to the stillness, guidance, and joy the Lord offers! Thanks for sharing Michele.
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Joining you in the YES!
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And the gift of wisdom to see the value of the gifts! Great reflections, thank you 🙂
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Thanks, Sharon!
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Saying yes to God (or to getting a puppy!) can definitely pave the way for unexpected blessings! I love how you identify practical steps we can take to receive the gifts God offers us this Christmas.
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It’s so true that we live the Christian life at the cellular level–little acts of obedience.
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Merry Christmas to you.
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And to you as well!
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Can you say no… but why would you? 🙂 I love this so much.
… side note – its feeding into our puppy fever. We have it BAD
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Oh, well, let me warn you that St. Bernards are very stubborn and a challenging animal to train, but also very loveable and undemanding.
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That can’t be Tucker, is it?
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No, there are no pictures of Tucker in my article or in the piece at LBD. He doesn’t cooperate well for show biz.
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I did say “yes” to reading the rest. Loved this, Michele! With so much advice (especially at this time of year) that it’s OK to say “no”, I appreciated this reminder that our God is a god of “YES!”
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A well placed yes (like a well placed no!) changes everything.
But always, yes to God…
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Dogs are a responsibility, yes, but they bring so much joy. That is true with many things in life. Thank you for linking up today and stay well.
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How true! The work is worth all the love and fun.
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Such a lovely post! We always have a choice and many people automatically say ‘No’ if that’s an option but they miss out on so much!
I appreciate your link at ‘My Corner of the World’ this week! Thanks for joining us!
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How true! Let’s be brave with our yes!
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Saying yes at times as a parents is the best gift you can give your child. I said yes to my daughter going into the lake with her clothing on. I have the cutest photo of her seating on a rock and smiling. I said yes, to her wearing her swimsuit under her dress even on a cool day as we explored Barcelona because she knew we were going to the sea.
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I hear you! And as I recall, some of my fondest memories of raising my sons came from times of the unexpected yes! Thank you for sharing yours.
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Michele, this was so good. We can say no to God’s good gifts. Or we can say yes. The choice is ours. He never forces us, demands us to accept, or gives us what we don’t want. We have a part to play in our receiving and accepting.
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I’ve been thinking more about this, and I wonder if we truly believe that we have a better way than the one he offers?
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CONGRATS! Your post is FEATURED at the #FaithAndWorshipChristianWeekend 15, opened early for the weekend of Christmas and until December 28 at 12:05 am.
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Darn it, Michele, I have been refusing my children’s requests for a puppy for their entire lifetime and now you are making me think otherwise! I don’t want a puppy though, so I will continue to implement at least that one refusal clause! But that’s not really the point of your post. You have once again brilliantly shared a lesson for all of us this holiday season! Thank you for linking with me. May your Christmas be filled with blessings!
Shelbee
http://www.shelbeeontheedge.com
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Ha! We can’t all be dog people!
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Isn’t it amazing that God gives us the opportunity to say no? But we don’t do that much before learning that yes to him is really best. I love the emphasis on letting spiritual disciplines ground us rather than letting them be the first thing to go in busy times.
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We need them so much more in the busy times, but you are right, we throw them overboard first!
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Thank you for sharing at #OverTheMoon. Pinned and shared. Have a lovely week. I hope to see you at next week’s party too! Please stay safe and healthy. Come party with us at Over The Moon! Catapult your content Over The Moon! @marilyn_lesniak @EclecticRedBarn
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Thank you for sharing at #OverTheMoon. Pinned and shared. Have a lovely week. I hope to see you at next week’s party too! Please stay safe and healthy. Come party with us at Over The Moon! Catapult your content Over The Moon! @marilyn_lesniak @EclecticRedBarn
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We have a jack Russell cross from the dogs trust #dreamteam@_karendennis
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They are so cute! And much more portable than a Saint!
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Saying ‘yes’ is so important for accepting opportunities despite our fear of the unknown. Thanks for linking up with #dreamteamlinky
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Absolutely!
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