JesseJoe

Thanks, Laleo. I love that post! Linda, I can't tell you how excited I was when I found this while I was searching the archived WayDale for something else. Made my day!!! Your story again brought tears to my eyes as I read through it. I am always amazed at the role animals play in opening our hearts so hardness can be desolved. Your discription of Emma reminds me of the balance I see in all relationships. Even mine with GreaseSpot. Does the good I get out of it more then compensate for the times it drives me crazy? Got to say yes to that one! Glad to hear about Molly. It is important for Emma to have someone to hang with while you are away. Heck, even when you are there. Companion animals need companionship. Sounds like you got a great pack! Jesse

Jesse

Happy B-day, Linda. Jesse

Happy Birthday, Catcup. Sure miss seeing you around. Your thoughts and heart have been something I've learned from since WayDale. I'm thankful you are you and hope to see you posting again some day. Hope your day was special, Jesse

Hey ExC. Don't know if you will ever see this or not, but I for one am thankful for the time you have spent here and the heart you have shared. I will miss you. Sorry you came to believe GreaseSpot is a cult. Funny thing is, every group can be considered a cult, depending on your perspective. Some people are even cults unto themselves. Such is life. Hope you find what you are looking for. Jesse

Hi, Seth. How ya doing? I was going to send you an email but it was returned, so I decided to post it on this thread. Hope you are well. I have been thinking about you everyday since I read your thread last month. The 23rd is Monday, as you well know. My anniversary was the 13th. It was my 10th. Amazing how I still want to drink sometimes. But, ya know, I would just have to start all over again if I started and my time is very important to me. When that isn't enough to keep me sober I remember my last drunk. I will NEVER do to another person what I did to someone that night. Never! The only way I can guarantee that is to not drink. That memory, although my most painful, I never want to forget. With each year of soberiety the depression has lightened up. For the last few it has been very manageable. I'm actually happy, which is something I never thought I would be again. Well, I have been thinking about you and wanted you to know. You are never alone. Jesse

I love it! Very simple and visual. Thanks for the tip on Maurice Sendak. I'm going to do a search and check it out. We have thought about doing something like that but funds have not allowed it. But I have vision! I'll put it in my file, Things To Do When The Funds Come In. Thanks, Jesse

I really like SEAL. Service Excellence in Animal Logistics. SEAL Mobile has a nice ring. Someone at work wants the name to be NO-NADS. Somehow I don't think our community would embrace it! Jesse

The SPCA I work at has a 38' RV equipped for surgery, education and adoptions that will be christened Sept. 20 and it needs a name. You can view it here. Some examples of names already used by others are SNIP Van (Spay/Neuter Initiative Program) or M*A*S*H (Mobile Animal Surgical Hospital). They wouldn?t work anyway because the RV is more than what these two examples suggest. I?ve racked my brain and have only come up with the Nome Mobile (NO More Euthanasia) and CEMA (Community Education Mobile Assistance). Not very cute, I admit. Can you tell I am not very creative? BUT YOU ARE! Do y?all have any ideas? Jesse

Hey, Rottie. I did have a Jesse icon! I had it stored on the web site were I work and lost it with a bunch of other stuff. It was my favorite picture! I found a picture of the whole family! Cappy, the Bulldog can?t keep his eyes off the cat hiding in the snow. He is very single minded. Anyway, thank you for what you do. It makes a difference! Jesse

Thanks for the welcome back! I lost the old web site when I switched over to a new one in April. Gosh, I lost some good stuff! I might have a copy on the server at work. I'll let you know via email tomorrow whether or not I find it. Mary Cate, LOVE the quote by St. Francis of Assisi. It's so very true. Jesse

Please, be careful. This man is not stable. And regardless of how much you care and want to help him, it is ultimately not your responsibility to make this happen. It is John's responsibility. Walk away before he damages you, if not physically, mentally! God will care for him. Unfortunately, he is out to change himself into TWI's idea of a Christian man, and you have seen what that is like via the tapes and books he has allowed you to hear and read. You have seen it by his contempt for what you hold dear. You have seen it by his willingness to be vulgar one minute and "the Holy Man" the next. TWI teaches that. They say in one breath that it is grace and you have no law to bind you so what ever you can handle, do it. In the next breath they say, you have to do this, and think this, in order to be accepted of the Household, thus being accepted of God. What TWI fails to teach is Jesus as the example of what it is. They fail to teach humility before God. It is all very confusing when you are caught up in it. John is obviously very much caught up in it! John is also trying to change you into his idea of a Christian woman. He wants to direct your mind and heart into the "freedom" he has. But from what you have seen, is he free? Yes, the man has pain and I know you hurt for him and want to help. But until he admits something is wrong, and takes responsibility for it, you can do nothing. Except pray for him. Praying for him is the greatest thing you can do for John. You obviously care enough to seek answers, your willingness to help is apparent, but John is responsible for his own life, not you. Sadly and with much regret, I say, I?ve been where he is. You can?t lead him to the Father, he must make the decision on his own. I had Aleya2Fairlie's in my life and I am so sorry for the pain I caused them by my own. God hasn?t back-off, but you need to. Jesse

Rottie, beautiful baby you have! You too, Dot! Here?s four of my five. From back to front: Claudia, Harriet, Jesse and Yoda. Their ages are, 12, 14, 6 and 10, in that order. Claude is Harry?s puppy. Who knew that some strange dog could get into my back yard! I fixed that problem real quick and NOT by securing the fence! Harry was about three months and a stray in the neighborhood when I first saw her. I spent New Year?s Eve with her, shortly after I left TWI. With her I didn?t feel so alone, so I searched for her owner the next day. When I found them, I learned they didn?t want her and she has been with me ever since. With Jesse, I had always wanted a giant breed, so I researched breeds and learned about the Leonberger. I found a breeder I clicked with on the phone and waited a couple of months for him to arrive. He is everything I ever wanted in a dog, then some. Jesse is my heart. Yoda was a stray that walked in the house one day and took over. She was about 9 months old and had the worst skin I had ever seen. We did everything to find her owner from putting up notices at the vets, signs on telephone poles, newspaper ads, to having the local Catholic Church make an announcement about a found dog. No one claimed her, and well, she acted like she had always been with us anyway, so... The one not pictured is a 10 year-old Bulldog named Cappy. One night about 4 years ago, four dogs went out in the front yard while the trash was being taken out and five dogs came back in! He was very underweight, his teeth were in horrible shape and he stank like cat urine. The next day we looked for and found the owner. During our conversation, I told the owner he had three choices. He could either take the dog to the vet, let the dog die or sell him to me. Needless to say, he called the next day and I bought a dog. Gandhi once said, "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated." Here in New Orleans, our moral progress is pretty slow! I work in at the SPCA/Animal Control and it is sickening to see the attitudes people have about animals! I?ll never understand TWI?s no-pets policy. I?ve seen the hardest child soften by the love of his dog, the elderly find a reason to get up in the morning and so much more. The one thing you can pour your emotions into without being misunderstood is an animal. They are also pretty good gauges of how you are coming across. I think getting a dog soon after leaving TWI was the first step I took towards God softening my heart. And God has done a great job! Jesse