Month: April 2020

Goodbye Nessa

April 17, 2020 / David & Susan Sifford / 2 Comments

We had to say bye to our border collie Nessa this week. Earlier in the year, we had tumors removed from her mammaries, but a tumor started growing back. The vet wouldn’t operate again, so we tried some natural things for her, and the tumor seemed to start to dissipate, but she ended up with 3 swollen legs, and a fairly large swelling on her inside back leg. She recently seemed to turn a corner in a positive way, but a few days ago, she couldn’t lay down or sit anymore, and it seemed because of that she hadn’t slept in at least a couple of days, and she was falling asleep standing while we would hold her. She just seemed to take a turn for the worse, and seemed to be suffering, and it seemed basically an impossible quality of life. So, we made the difficult decision.

She had been a real trooper through it all, and it was crushing to have to put her down.

We will always have fond memories of her. In fact, she will always be remembered as having been part of the initial inspiration for the little song I put together, Jehovah Is His Name.

And then there are the memories of her with Brodey, who thankfully seems to be ok as of right now with Nessa missing, even though they had been together with each other for their entire lives…

Here’s when we got them back in 2009:

In this video from 2010 from this blog post, she seemed to prove what I thought, which was Nessa kinda had a screw loose: 🙂 (The video has no thumbnail, but you should still be able to play it; or you can go to the blog post link.)

Here are brother and sister again, 2013 and 2017:

And here’s a final video from back in January, soon after Nessa’s surgery. We had a double cone on her to try to keep her from the stitches, and a “diaper” wrap to try to keep her from the open wound:

Goodbye Nessa bo-bessa….we’ll miss you lots….

….and we thank the Lord for the gift that you were, and for the time He allowed us to have you!

— David

David’s Digest: Lovest Thou Me?

April 10, 2020 / David & Susan Sifford / 2 Comments

This….

“Man,” said a thoughtless, ungodly English traveller to a North American Indian convert, “Man, what is the reason that you make so much of Christ, and talk so much about Him? What has this Christ done for you, that you should make so much ado about Him?”

The converted Indian did not answer him in words. He gathered together some dry leaves and moss and made a ring with them on the ground. He picked up a live worm and put it in the middle of the ring. He struck a light and set the moss and leaves on fire. The flame soon rose and the heat scorched the worm. It writhed in agony, and after trying in vain to escape on every side, curled itself up in the middle, as if about to die in despair. At that moment the Indian reached forth his hand, took up the worm gently and placed it on his bosom.

“Stranger,” he said to the Englishman, “Do you see that worm? I was that perishing creature. I was dying in my sins, hopeless, helpless, and on the brink of eternal fire. It was Jesus Christ who put forth the arm of His power. It was Jesus Christ who delivered me with the hand of His grace, and plucked me from everlasting burnings. It was Jesus Christ who placed me, a poor sinful worm, near the heart of His love. Stranger, that is the reason why I talk of Jesus Christ and make much of Him. I am not ashamed of it, because I love Him.”

If we know anything of love to Christ, may we have the mind of this North American Indian! May we never think that we can love Christ too well, live to Him too thoroughly, confess Him too boldly, lay ourselves out for Him too hearty! Of all the things that will surprise us in the resurrection morning, this, I believe, will surprise us most: that we did not love Christ more before we died.

So humbling, so Christ-elevating and adoring!

May we forever, from now to eternity, be thankful for God’s mercies and so great salvation toward us, in the Father’s great love, the Son’s great atoning work and sacrifice, and the Holy Spirit’s great work of application in our hearts and lives!

We are all this poor worm — full of sin and not far from God’s eternal wrath — without Christ. If you are not affected yet by God’s work of salvation, come to Him recognizing your sin, ask Him this day to save you — to grant you repentance from all your sins and to forgive you, and to cleanse you from the dirtiness of sin, and keep asking Him until He does, to save you from that everlasting ring of fire all men are in until brought out by His gracious hand into His bosom. Please, seek Him now, while you still have today, as tomorrow — even the next heartbeat — is not guaranteed.

Consider this promise:

John 6:37 – “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.“

May God grant us understanding of who we are without the Lord Christ Jesus, who He is and what He has done, and may He apply His salvific work to our hearts! Amen!

The above quote was from JC Ryle’s book “Holiness” (chapter 15) from Chapel Library, which you can get various e-versions for free or order a hardcopy for free here:
JC Ryle’s “Holiness” from Chapel Library

Also, you can listen to our audio recordings of chapter 15 entitled “Lovest Thou Me?”:

Lovest Thou Me? – Part 1

Lovest Thou Me? – Part 2

Or listen to the whole audio book here:
JC Ryle – Holiness

— David

Lullaby – Thank You, Our God, for All Your Care

April 3, 2020 / David & Susan Sifford / 0 Comments

As it’s been with our other cats, it seems to me their names, or things I call them, lend themselves to musical tunes. And so, I put together lullabies for William and Mimi. Tuscan got a whole hymn. 🙂

Anyway, with our latest addition, Leila, her name seemed to lend itself to a melody as well, something rather lilt-y as it happened…

Her lyrics were simply her name repeated, “Leila, Leila…”, but since the tune also sounded like a lullaby, I attempted to put some lullaby-ish words to the melody, and here is how it worked out:

Thank You, our God, for all Your care
And for Your love and for Jesus there!
If You should grant we see the morn
Help us live lives that will you adorn!