God loves Life

Throughout the years I've been blessed with many animal friends: Dogs, cats, horses, turtles,
, birds, parakeets, hamster. Someday, I hope to swim with dolphins! God created them all for our enjoyment!

God wanted humanity to have animal companions, as well as human companionship

God loves life!

Fun-Loving Timmy

Being pet-less since 1976 we finally decided to adopt a kitten named Timothy. Timothy cried all the way home, but it was really fun having a kitten!

The first week at our home Timmy jumped on the coffee table into Andy’s toast with jelly! Later, tiny Tim jumped into the toilet as it was flushing and luckily we were there to save him from going down the drain!

Tim, being all boy, liked to help Andy with carpentry work including hammers; you can imagine how hard it was for Andy to hammer with Timmy constantly pressing his nose against the nail! Uncovering a furnace vent, the next thing we knew Timmy was stuck inside!

We have handles on our doors rather than knobs, which is a mistake because Timmy can open any door he chooses. If guests are in the bathroom Timmy will open the door, bare his teeth and run off! Timmy is not dumb, but he is weird! Another time Timmy opened a door to the outside! We searched all over the yard, but it was already dark…..then I felt a furry beast crawling up my leg under my nightgown…. I screamed and the culprit was…...you guessed it, Timothy!

While we were painting the bedroom, Timmy decided to sneak in and walk in the paint tray. Prancing around the room, he left white paw prints all over the blue carpet and then rubbed his face, sides and tail against the freshly painted walls! Timmy was promptly given a bath and refrained from any more painting tricks.

At exactly 10:00 p.m. Timmy likes to be put into his bed and have a fuss made over him. One evening, due to company, we forgot the routine and Timmy came into the living room every few minutes to remind us. At 10:25 p.m. we still had not put Tim to bed, so being resourceful, he got even. Getting out a pair of dirty underwear from the hamper, Tim proudly pranced around our guests carrying his prize! Our guests roared with laughter, we turned red, and Timothy was promptly put to bed!

Despite all his trouble making, Timmy is loved. How much more does God love us despite all our trouble making!

Buffy the Kitten - My Nurse

In 1968, due to orthopedic surgery, I was completely bed-ridden for two months so was allowed to adopt a kitten!

Since a friend's cat had kittens I chose an orange kitten named Buffy to be my companion, actually Buffy chose me! As soon as I sat on my friend's floor to inspect the kittens, Buffy, an nine week old crawled right into my lap and would not leave. So actually Buffy chose me!

Buffy had an uncanny sense about my needs for he stayed by my side 24 hours a day. Every morning, at exactly 7:00 a.m., he would awaken me by first meowing, then by sitting on my stomach, then by sitting on my chest, then by patting my nose, and finally by sitting on my face! Quickly I learned to wake up before this last step!

God was so good and kind to give me such a loving companion!

God's Precious Animals

In training animals I verbally correct only when necessary, and praise and love them constantly showing them respect. The pets return my love and respect more than one hundred percent.

Example: Being very ill, I passed out on the floor. Regaining conscientiousness I found my pets doing their best to help me. Timmy the cat was lying over my left ankle, Ivory the cat was laying over my right ankle, and Ingrid the dog was lying by my side. Only when I felt better did the animals leave their post. God uses even little animals to help.

"The intelligence displayed by many animals approaches so closely to human intelligence that it is a mystery.

". The animals see and hear and love and fear and suffer. They use their organs far more faithfully than many human beings use theirs. They manifest sympathy and tenderness toward their companions in suffering.

"  Many animals show affection for those who have charge of them, far superior to the affection shown by some of the human race. They form attachments for man which are not broken without great suffering to them."

  Ministry of Healing pages 315-316 by Ellen G White

A Russian Blue named Timmy - Timmy the Troublemaker

Being pet-less we finally decided to adopt a Russian Blue kitten named Timothy. Timothy cried all the way home, but it was really fun having a kitten!

The first week Timmy jumped on the coffee table into Andy’s toast with jelly! Later, tiny Tim jumped into the toilet as it was flushing and luckily we were there to save him from going down the drain!

Tim liked to help Andy with carpentry work including hammers; you can imagine how hard it was for Andy to hammer with Timmy constantly pressing his nose against the nail! Uncovering a furnace vent, the next thing we knew Timmy was stuck inside!

We have handles on our doors rather than knobs, which is a mistake because Timmy can open any door he chooses. If guests are in the bathroom Timmy will open the door, bare his teeth and run away! Timmy is not dumb, but he is weird! Another time Tim opened a door to the outside! We searched all over the yard in our night-clothes but it was already dark…..then I felt a furry beast crawling up my leg under my nightgown! I screamed! and the culprit was…...you guessed it, Timothy!

While we were painting the bedroom, Timmy decided to sneak in and walk in the paint tray. Prancing around the room, he left white paw prints all over the blue carpet and then rubbed his face, sides and tail against the freshly painted walls! Timmy was promptly given a bath and refrained from any more painting tricks.

At exactly 10:00 p.m. Timmy likes to be put into his kennel and have a fuss made over him. One evening, due to company, we forgot the routine and Timmy came into the living room every few minutes to remind us. At 10:25 p.m. we still had not put Tim to bed, so being resourceful he got even. Timmy got out a pair of dirty underwear from the hamper and proudly pranced around our guests carrying his prize! Our guests roared with laughter, we turned red, and Timothy was promptly put to bed!

Despite all his trouble making, Timmy is loved.

 How much more does God love us despite all our trouble making!

Sweet Ivory Ann

Timmy the Kitten (see blog for 9/19/13) was so gregarious and fun that I began praying for a companion for him. I wanted a lynx-point Birman cat. (Birman is a beautiful breed of cat.) So, after praying we went to the animal shelter and found a beautiful torti-lynx-point Birman 8-month-old kitten named Ivory Ann. With Andy’s approval we adopted her.


Ivory has a wonderful personality and gets along very well with Timmy and our dog. It is easy to tell when Ivory is happy or sad: when happy her overly profuse whiskers stick straight forward, and when sad her whiskers hang almost straight down. But Ivory is rarely sad.


Ivory is a good conversationalist with a sweet and tiny voice. At bedtime she loves to lie on my pillow and give me a scalp massage, or to curl around Andy’s head to keep him warm! Ivory comes when called and sits beside me when asked because she loves to cuddle.


Ivory is constantly showing her appreciation for being rescued. We should all be thankful to Jesus for His adopting and saving us.

 Ivory was a member of our family for 16 years.

Animal Friends

In 1968, due to orthopedic surgery, I was completely bed-ridden for two months and was allowed to have a kitten for company. Since a friend's cat had kittens we chose an orange kitten named Buffy to be my companion!

Buffy had an uncanny sense about my needs for he stayed by my side 24/7. Every morning, at exactly 7:00 a.m., he would awaken me by first meowing, then by sitting on my stomach, then sitting on my chest, then by patting my nose, and finally by sitting on my face! Quickly I learned to wake up before this last step! Buffy was my companion for 17 years.

In elementary school, while waiting for the school bus, the neighbor's huge Saint Bernard, Humphrey, waited with me. He also met me at the bus stop after school acting as a deterrent to anyone wishing me harm.

Part of my final grade in high school zoology was caring for two baby garter snakes at home. They were a trial. One afternoon, before Mom's bridge party, the snakes escaped their terrarium, but were found - after the party!

In 1965 Dad purchased a two-year-old Appaloosa gelding named Spottum Bottum. Later that year I showed Spottum in the nationally known Ak-Sar-Ben Livestock Show where we placed sixth out of 42 in Junior Western Pleasure. Spottum won numerous trophies, but his main purpose was being my friend.

As a child I took Mark 16:15 literally and preached “the gospel to every creature," which included the horses, cats and dogs at Hillside Stables. My main love of horses was riding through nature singing and talking to God.

Cats and Rabies Scare

While growing up there were many animal friends in our home: a red, longhaired Dachshund called Cricket; two green and yellow parakeets, both named Petie; a tank of fish; and an assortment of cats.

 Our cats included a heavy-muscled, gray-tabby named Tiger who “loved” to be dressed in doll clothes and wheeled around the cul-de-sac; Bootsy a long-haired black cat with tuxedo markings; and Buffy a elegant, twelve pound, long-hair, orange cat that lived to be seventeen years old.

In elementary school a stray cat bit me. Thinking I would be punished for touching a stray cat, I tried to hide my red, swollen hand from Mom. But Mom noticed the sore hand and questioned me as to the cause. Quickly officials began searching for the cat, and I was kept home from school and outdoor play. This made me irritable, which worried Mom and Dad even more, as they suspected rabies, which is deadly.

The local news told of a little girl who would have to undergo painful rabies shots unless a certain cat was found. (At this time rabies shots were deadly if one did not have rabies; but if they had rabies, but did not get the shot, they would die.) I began praying for the little girl little knowing she was me! The next day the officials located the cat and it was positively identified – the cat did not have rabies and I did not have to undergo shots. Praise God!!