Sometimes when life weighs you down, you need to take a minute to laugh – and our pets can be a source of laughter and encouragement. Comedian Phil Callaway  shares some of the lessons from his book: .

• Sometimes love means you’re not all there:”Love is crazy. When we think of the love of Christ, it’s crazy to think He would rather die than leave us as we are.”
• Home is where my people are – and food. When Phil and his family brought home their new puppy, he surprised them:”One of the very first acts – it took off running. I ambled after it but it was already headed home, back to its mother. Now, fifteen years later, we head out on a walk… it turns home [to our house]. It’s accepted, it’s loved. From the moment this dog gets up, its eyes are on its master. This dog has taught me to be an incurable optimist.
• All of us long to be patted – or encouraged
•  “Stay”:  “[I joke that]we’ve been married 32 of the best years of my wife’s life!  I was teaching my dog the fine art of ‘staying’ — all the while my wife is facing this debilitating illness… It hit me that here I am, teaching my dog to stay – those who simply ‘stay’ when all the world says ‘run’ are rewarded in ways they never thought possible. What a gift you can be today by simply being faithful.”
• Persevere.
• When you don’t get what you want, roll with it.
• You can grow old without growing ugly: “Never stop learning. You can teach an old dog new tricks! Whatever age you are, be looking for ways to be a blessing this very day.”
• Nothing can steal your joy until you give it permission:”We can’t blame the Enemy for stealing our joy. We can’t blame anyone else for stealing our joy; that’s up to us.
• The good life is right in front of you when you stop chasing a better one.

Highlight : Learning joy from your dog

How can a dog teach us about God?

Photo: Shelby Joy Rich