Sugar lay curled in the corner of the pound kennel. She was a long-haired stinking mess with eyes somewhere under the long blond hair. We debated a few minutes between Sugar and the basset hound. The attendant prodded Sugar and she lifted her head revealing the saddest eyes Faye had ever seen. The decision was made.

Nobody wants a dog that does absolutely nothing. After the bath, the combing out she looked like a Lhasa Apso which she was. A strange breed bred by Tibetan monks to kill rodents and look pretty. Looking pretty she did but chase something-no way. For two weeks she ate and slept, never barked. Sugar never ventured onto the carpeted areas of the house, she was content to sleep in her bed and she was house-broken. The only thing was she was the saddest dog you have ever seen and the laziest. She feared brooms and shrank from harsh words. Clearly she was a beaten down and unhappy animal. Love was something she didn’t know. We guessed that her life up to that point had been in a puppy mill as the producer.

"She’s got pups." The vet told us when Sugar went for her shots and checkups. Then he said, "I don’t think she will survive birthing the litter." Sugar was spayed. After several days of laying around she surprised with occasional affection. A few days later she began to play with toys. After a month she was a changed animal. She was full of love and playfulness. It could be she was finally free from her life. She was loved and knew it.

There are people who were raised in Church. They became Christians out of fear and remained in the church because of fear. You could say they were constantly being beaten up by the Church. Everything was a "No!" and lived without freedom or joy.

God never intended His children to live in fear and without joy. Jesus came to save us and teach us a new and better way to live. He taught that God was love and that we were to love one another. He taught us to live without fear and with joy.

 ^{John 14:23}Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. ²⁴He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.

The church is to be family: loving and supportive not taskmasters and watchdogs.

Sugar learned that she was loved and because of that love she responded with love. So many Christians need to learn this simple lesson. We are obedient because of love. God’s commandments in Scripture were given for our protection and provision. God wants His children to live life  full of the things He promised. We know God does not wink at out sins but we do know he is patient with us. Let us realize we are going to fail along the way, but let us also realize God is faithful to forgive our failures if we are faithful to confess them.

The truth is that the closer we come to God the more we desire to please Him. A sense of appreciation grows that has nothing to do with fear but everything to do with love. It is so astounding how, in time, obedience becomes our choice rather than something we believe God is forcing on us.

God's Wisdom: Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him."

Worldly Wisdom: You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today. Abraham Lincoln