Stephen De La Vega

[If you’re able, read Part 1 , then Part 2 , then this post.   This trilogy includes some extraordinary but true animal stories and offers insight into some of our human tendencies, a.k.a., animal instincts.] My dog Izzy has grown almost completely blind and deaf, and her sensitivity to odors is failing as well.   We rescued her from a shelter so we don’t know her complete care history or even how old she is.   But she’s been in our family for over 10 years and she’s definitely showing signs of old age.   Often, when she stops during her walks, she loses her bearings and starts up again in a different direction.   Even when I tug on her leash, she somehow believes that her poor sense of smell is a better compass than her master's guidance.   And, inside the house, she bumps into walls and furniture, and often bumps around in circles because she doesn’t know which way is right. Izzy is out of her comfort zone.   As her owner, I’m also out of sorts because it’s har

Paul was a man on a mission.  Why wouldn’t he be?  He was commissioned by God.  God chose Him, told Him what to do, and empowered Him.  Paul committed to God’s plan and got it done.  He was a doer and he pursued God’s plan with boldness and tireless passion. The sobering truth is God also commissioned us… Maybe we see Paul as a superhero, or, humanly speaking, a really, extraordinary person.   The one-of-a-kind guy we’re tempted to emulate using the social media shortcut.   He’s a luminary we might celebrate in history books, but maybe not the type we’d ever attempt to become ourselves.   He’s just too far off the charts.   I mean, it’s nice to dream, but we’re not Jesus, right? No, we’re not Jesus and we really are severely handicapped when it comes to living as He did.   We are “prone to wander…to leave the God [we] love,” as Hymnodist Robert Robinson penned in 1757 ( Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing ).   But Paul, though human like us, somehow took big steps for Go