For Crichton

It is a sad day for the Arnold family. I am writing this while waiting for a vet appointment this morning. I have to put our wonderful family Labrador Retriever, Crichton, down this morning.

Crichton is 13 years old and arthritis and Cushing's disease have taken too much a toll on her. She is just the best dog. We got her right after Anita and I got married and moved to Montgomery, AL. She and Anita were best pals. Until Maria was born, Crichton was Anita's companion when I was gone. Crichton offered a very special ministry to Anita during my 2.5 years in grad school at night while working full time.

Crichton loved to chase golf balls that Anita would hit in the yard. When Anita became pregnant with Maria, quitting work to be a full time mom, they would hit balls everyday rain or shine until the time when Crichton just couldn't do it anymore which started a couple of years ago.

Anita is very upset and Maria is so sweet and mature about this. "Mommy, it is alright. She will feel so much better now. She will get to be a puppy again in heaven and play with Tess." Tess was a Labrador stray that we adopted just before Maria was born and had to put to sleep last year due to health issues.

Right now I feel like both the father and the son in The Yearling.

Too Many Ways To Fall

I promised to get back to my original blog purpose which was sharing thoughts on discipleship and sometimes relaying external stimulus that inspires or speaks to me. Unfortunately, I have been in a period of little inspiration in regards to my blog theme. Compounding this is I have been very busy with work, church, and personal projects that focus my thoughts and reflections into those areas. I have had no lack of inspiration or thoughts, just not in the vein of this blog.

So, in order to assuage the blog drought I will use one of my crutches. I will post the lyrics to a song that jumped back into my attention. The song is from one my favorite CD's, Arc Angels by Arc Angels. I hope you enjoy the lyrics and I hope they spawn some comments or reflections from the readers who have not abandoned me.

Too Many Ways To Fall
(Charlie Sexton, Tonio K., Chris Layton, Tommy Shannon)

A mother has her baby boys and a father doesn't call
And from this saddening parody
Someone will have to crawl
Yes crawl through all the dark memories
Everyone and all

'Cause there's just one way that you can stand
Too many ways to fall

All we have is here and now
Tomorrow may not come true
There's a million people who walk this ground
Who might steal your wish from you
A million people maybe not
A human one at all

There's just one way that we can stand
Too many ways to fall

Well they might be on the fire escape
They might be down the hall
They might be watching every move you make
Through the pinhole in the wall
They're sworn to their duty
And they stand so proud and tall
They say it's nothing personal
It's just a job that's all

The mother says now baby boy
You're gonna have to choose
There's good and evil, love and greed
And they're all inside of you
And just as sure as gravity
No one escapes the law

'Cause there's just one way that we can stand
Too many ways to fall

So when you wake up in the bushes
Passed out on the lawn
And suddenly it dawns on you
That mother wasn't wrong
It all comes back like déjà vu
You just can't help but recall

'Cause there's just one way that we can stand
Too many ways to fall