 As the weather warms, our best friends encounter many irritations, including fleas and tics, hot spots and such. The itches and the stings, rashes and bug bites are all part of the landscape when one walks so close to the ground! Of course we do what we can to prevent such things, be it collars or chewables or these days even shots. Left to their own resources, dogs will roll in dirt to manage the itches and also tend to one another when in a pack.
As the weather warms we too encounter our own irritations and discomforts. Sometimes due to the heat or humidity that will ultimately come, but more often than not it's the feeling that comes from deep inside as the seasons change and things blossom and bloom all around us. Unlike our dogs, we don't have collars to purchased and comfort us, or chewables to soothe us, rather our only option is to take a deep dive into ourselves and see what we find. Deep dives can be unsettling and more often than not show us bit and pieces about ourselves we would rather not see, but they are necessary if we are to quell all inner irritations. If we ignore them, they don't go away, although we can fool ourselves into thinking they do. Instead, like those awful parasites, fleas, who lay eggs and multiply rapidly, that which troubles us, lays it's eggs in our consciousness and there it grows itchier and itchier over time! You would never let your fur baby suffer when you can do something about it, so please be sure you do the same for yourself. Peace, Love & Wufs Rev Deb, Chooks & Sam
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 The moment has happened! After almost two years in the making the official launch of The Temple of Dog took place on March 5th at the Williamson Country Library to a very attentive and intimate audience of special guests. We laughed, we sang, and even shed a tear, and interacted in fun and sacred ways.
It was a loving and lovely exchange between souls who all had a common thread between them and that was the love of dog and indeed the love of animals. Dina Rae and I shared our experience of what it was like developing and creating The Temple of Dog Oracle Deck, illustrating it best by performing a small tug of war between us with a doggie tug toy! However above all our greatest moment was performing our new Beatles parody "All You Need Are Dogs!" which the whole crowd joined in on! We shared a presentation that detailed what The Temple of Dog is, and what we intend for it to become, which will be posted on this website soon. Dina Rae showed off her instagram reels that featured some of our Temple of Dog Characters, and we even did a compelling tai chi exercise famous for releasing and relieving stress. We had our guests pull their own cards from the deck and some shared what they got with the group. Everyone there let us know how pertinent their card was and in fact, one person said they couldn't share, because it was just too personal. That, folks, is the power of the deck. At the end of the event we did a very special blessing for all fur babies, present and past, blessing them for everything they bring and have brought into our lives and our hearts. (This is where a few tears were shed.) All in all it was a great beginning and everyone left with heads high and their tails wagging, metaphorically speaking of course! Thank you to all who were able to be there, and to everyone else who has wished us well on our journey that is The Temple of Dog. If you want to know how you can get your paws on the Deck, or participate in one of the special packages we have put together, please check out our shop. Peace, love and wufs, Rev Deb, Chooks & Sam  When was the last time you thought about your dreams? Was it recent enough that you are in touch with them and readily know what your dreams are? Or. . . are you dreams so buried at this point you'd be like the neighborhood dog digging holes in the back yard just trying to remember where you put them?! Dogs live in the moment, so it is safe to say that they live their dreams. If you have ever watched a dog deep asleep you can see them fully committed to the dream they are having, be it chasing squirrels or sticks, they are all in. And the same goes for the life they live when they are awake. They are fully into whatever it is they are doing in the moment. Nothing feels too hard for them. and they never thing that they don't deserve something. I invite you to consider my double dog dare! I dare you to rekindle your dreams, whatever state they may be in, and take one step towards them. If your dream seems to huge you don't know what step to take, understand that this might mean that you don't really believe you can it. It's like a dog biting into a gigantic tree branch as if it were a little stick, but being unable to actually carry it, sometimes when you have a vision that is so big you don't know where to start, the size of the vision can keep you stuck! Downsize that vision into smaller chunks until you can take a step forward. It may take a while to get there, but it you take a little step every day, you will arrive at your destination before you know it. One little step every day will move you farther faster than you can imagine. And no matter what happens, Dog always loves and supports you especially when you love and support yourself and your dreams. Peace, Love and Wufs, Rev Deb, Chooks & Sam   Why is the expression "let sleeping dogs lie" so well known? Or if you don't know it, seems so relatable? That is because everyone who has ever been around dogs knows, they sleep! They run, they play, they guard and protect (at least in their own minds). They romp and bark and demand luvs when it fancies them, regardless of what you may be doing at the time. And. . . They sleep.
Even those dogs who live more of a back yard lifestyle, snuggle in their doghouses, or under their favorite tree and snore away when the mood strikes them. There is not guilt, no questioning whether or not it is ok, and certainly no forcing themselves to ignore their fatigue because they have too much too do! Why do we not take a lesson from dog and learn to honor our own bodies in the same way? Admittedly we have a schedule, and we have obligations that most dogs do not. There are service dogs and such, that also maintain a schedule however they nap when given the chance and we do not. Other countries have siestas as part of their culture because it's healthy, and yet we keep burning the candle at both ends, thinking someday it will be better. And all too often we rest because we get sick. Sleep is so important. It may be time to reconsider the importance of sleep in your life and the possibility of even taking a light "cat nap" during your lunch hour, to rejuvenate and restore yourself. If you are tired, you are only operating at 20% or less of your capacity and that is never optimum. Rest is warranted, and believe it or not you will get more done if you are actually rested.! Sometimes you feel like a nap and that is a good thing. Allow yourself to curl up for 15 minutes and discover what dogs already now, napping is cool!  It's official, we've gone to the dogs and are now celebrating that fact! LOL. Join us on Sunday, March 5th, 2023, at 2:30 PM and enjoy the complimentary, interactive experience otherwise known as the Official Launch of the Temple of Dog and Oracle deck Release Party! We will be hosting our celebration at the Williamson County Public Library, 1314 Columbia Ave., Franklin, TN 37064. What you can expect;
This event is complimentary to all, and promises to be fun and memorable! *No pups this time, this event is for all of you loving guardians and pet parents only, because you deserve to be celebrated. PLEASE RSVP HERE . Peace, Love & Wufs Rev Deb, Chooks and Sam  Often we forget to give ourselves a bone (kudos) on any level. We question our worthiness and don't feel as though we are deserving of good things, good thoughts, or any praise at all. We tend to lean into being harsh with ourselves, or even harsh with others who happen to be within range at just the right time! It can be hard to believe in yourself because it's not something we are taught to do. Often our role models, those who raised us and meant well, were not a great example because they themselves didn't know how to believe in themselves. Let's consider dogs now. If you offer a dog a bone, they don't question, resist or think in any way at all that they don't deserve that bone. They take it with gusto and are very excited to enjoy it. They wag their tail knowing they must have done something right, because they live in the moment. They don't question their value, in fact it doesn't even cross their minds that there could be anything wrong with them at all! We could all take a page from their book! Always remember, no matter what, it's important to give yourself a bone! Enjoy, savor and know that you just might be incredibly worthy of everything good. Peace, Love & Wufs, Rev Deb, Chooks & Sam  Sometimes we all feel the chill of someone who seems to be giving us the "cold shoulder" and we tend to think that there is something wrong, and often give them the same treatment back. The end result can be hard feelings, and in more dramatic circumstances, the end of a relationship.
Imagine now that shockingly cold nose that your beloved fur-baby lays on your skin, making you jump, because it's so chilly! We don't tend to tell stories about why their nose is cold. We know they have a warm heart and that they love us regardless! Consider that when someone does seem to be a little chilly towards you, it may have nothing to do with you. In truth it might. . . But more often than not it is because they are dealing with their own story, their own stuff, and their own triggers. They are cold because they are trying to process something, and they are probably not wanting to harm the relationship at all. And, in fact can be quite devoted when things do end as a result of their behavior. I'm not saying that there aren't things to work out, or conversations to be had, however it is always a good idea to give others the benefit of the doubt. Remember that a cold shoulder, just like a cold nose can still come with a warm heart! Much love and wufs, Rev Deb, Chooks and Sam!  Sometimes we all feel a little like we just have to push through. Even thought we may be tired, perhaps a little burnt out, but still we keep on going. Just like a puppy with a warm nose, who wants to play even though they are under the weather, warm noses indicate that different actions are required. We have to be responsible to our fur-babies and take care of them, even when they don't understand. We must also take care of ourselves, otherwise we will find ourselves flat on our backs unable to do anything because we ignored our own health. When you're tired rest!
Just like our beloved furry friends, it's important to pay attention to the signs of our own health. after all, if we don't take care of ourselves first, how can we provide the energy and care necessary for those around us? So the next time you find yourself feeling run-down, take a step back and think about how best to look after your health. You may be surprised at the difference it can make! With a little self-care, we can all go back to running again. It's easy to get caught up in our hectic lives and forget about taking time for ourselves. But by listening to our health signals we can stay on top of our wellbeing and make sure we have the energy to enjoy life. So don't be afraid to take some time out and look after your health - it's the best investment you can make! Your health is worth so much more than just a cold nose! Let's take care of ourselves, and enjoy life to the fullest. After all, health is wealth! Who's up for a game of fetch? Much Love and Wufs, Rev Deb, Chooks & Sam  Sometimes, it can be tempting to stay in the same patterns and keep chasing our own tails. But if we take a look at what results this brings us, we see that it often results in a lot of energy wasted without much reward.
Like when a dog attempts to chase their tail - there's enthusiasm behind it, but the results of their efforts are often underwhelming. Even if they catch it, they have to let it go eventually since, if they don't let it go, they can only go round and round in circles! The key is to break out of our regular patterns and take the time to find something different - something that might bring us results we haven't achieved before. Don't let the same results keep you from achieving something greater - break the cycle and go after your dreams! If you are still chasing your tale, it's time to make a change. Chasing your dream instead will lead to different results - results that are worth pursuing! So stop going round in circles, take a leap of faith, and take a shot at something new. Who knows - it might be the results you were looking for all along! It's time to stop chasing your tale - make the change today! Much love and Wufs, Rev Deb, Chooks and Sam  We can learn a lot from our furry companions, especially when it comes to loyalty. Dogs are some of the most loyal creatures on the planet and they demonstrate this loyalty every day. But what exactly does it mean to be loyal? It means loving, forgiving, and giving others the benefit of the doubt—just like our four-legged friends do. Let’s take a closer look at what loyalty looks like and how we can learn from our canine companions.
Loyalty is all about commitment and devotion. It’s about sticking with someone through thick and thin, even when things get tough. Dogs are incredibly loyal animals; they will stick by their humans through anything—even if that means sleeping outside in a thunderstorm or accompanying them on an uncomfortable road trip. They will always be there for their human no matter what, which is why we consider them so devoted and special. Dogs may not give us verbal affirmations, but their actions speak volumes about their commitment to us. They greet us with so much enthusiasm every time we come home (even if we just left for five minutes) because they are so happy that we are back! This unconditional love is something that everyone should strive for in their relationships with other people as well as themselves. To be truly loyal means loving unconditionally. That doesn't mean we excuse bad behavior, but it does mean that we find forgiveness. Remembering these lessons from our four-legged pals can help us become better humans and build stronger relationships with those around us. That's why dogs are man's best friend! |
Our WishDina Rae and Rev Deb invite you to enjoy this curated experience. May your tails wag with satisfaction and your hearts be warmed by all that you see. Archives
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