Dillon is in Doggy Heaven.

Dillon

Age 13, October 14, 1997 - September 16, 2011

The best buddy I've ever had. I miss you immensely. Until we meet again my dear friend.

Nickname: Bubba, Bub, Big Boy, Daddy's Boy

DILLON

Born on October 14, 1997, you came into our life; or was it, we can into your life. We welcomed you with big wide open arms. You accepted. Life was fun as a puppy. You liked to tease Ms. Kitty your older ‘sister’. She tolerated you. You learned so, so fast as a puppy the important things in life. Things like, no doing your business in the house. Yes, you lived inside and outside our home. Eventually it was mostly inside. Air conditioning in Texas was essential for you. Life inside was great. That’s where your toys were. You never chewed up any of your toys. How many are there? I think we stopped counting at 30. Monkey was your first toy and you still have him. You used to go to your toy box and pull out different ones looking for that special one you would choose to play with that particular day. As smart as your were, your never quite grasped the concept of putting your toys back where they belonged. We adapted.

We were amazed by how fast and how many English words you came to know.
Communicating with you was a pleasure. Your tricks! Oh boy, how much fun it was to do each and every one with you. You were so funny when I would bring you a treat and you would go through your repertoire of tricks without any command at all…just to get that treat. You grew and grew. By the time your were a mature adult Border Collie, you grew to 22 inches at the shoulders and weighed in at 43 pounds. In all your years, you managed to maintain your weight very well. Wish I knew your secret. We moved and you met the love of your life, Dolly, the ‘girl next door’. You fathered six of the most beautiful puppies I have ever seen. You were a proud papa, and spent quality time with your kids.

I’m sorry that you never got to herd any real animals, but that riding lawnmower seemed to suite you just fine. I had to be a real pro driving the mower, because I never knew when or where you would come out of trying to cut me off and send me packing, back to the barn. And yes, you always made sure that the mower made it back into the barn. You were very efficient at rounding up the mower when it got loose. Funny, but you always enjoyed riding on the mower as well.
You got older and arthritis started to set in on your joints. Dr Stanfill made life a little easier for you by giving us medicine to help you along. You enjoyed every minute of your senior years, laying on the grass just taking everything in. Little miss Logan came into our lives and we were really surprised how much fun you had playing with her. With your hearing starting to fail you, you adapted by letting Logan take over on security. You always backed her up on important issues, like doorbells, or when someone or something happened to walk or pass by your home.

As time passed, both of us started to feel the pains of growing older.
I slowed and you did too to some degree. You always kept moving though. No matter where I went you followed. What a great buddy you have been. I hope I have been the same for you. You were always there for me, always keeping at least one eye on me. When I would have to leave for work, I would always put you in charge while I was gone. You did a very good job! We always parted with a handshake. You knew that I was leaving when you got that handshake. Even though I was gone, I was always just a phone call away. I enjoyed all of those evening calls talking to you and you talking back to me. Memories I will never forget.
Now, as we grow old, God has new plans for us. Although, at this time we don’t know what those plans will be, rest assured, we will like his planned future for us.
Dillon you have been such a pleasure to know and I’m looking forward to our new lifetime together. There’s one thing for sure. You were loved unconditionally and you showed your love back unconditionally. You will always be loved…and missed!

Dillon Tarr
Born October 14, 1997
Deceased September 16, 2011
“UNTIL ONE HAS LOVED AN ANIMAL,
A PART OF ONE'S SOUL REMAINS
UNAWAKENED “ -- Anatole France

“Until one has loved an animal,
a part of one’s soul remains unawakened” -- Anatole France

DOG HEAVEN?

I had an interesting question this week from a friend of mine who asked “Do dogs go to Heaven?” Some folks might think this is an odd question and at times I probably did too, but as I have grown to see what love they share and how much I always want to be around them, I have also thought the same thing because I want it to be true.

Because we all have free will with thinking and opinions, many people can answer this in a very short sentence and the answer would be “No, there is no Heaven” and I am not here to debate this or sway opinions or to give a lesson but that’s what free will is all about, the right to believe what you want. There are so many unanswered questions throughout the universe and this is a minor question in the grand scheme of things, but to a dog lover, it is a big deal and I will take the point that there is a higher order/power and I know many people have asked this same question.

I grew up in a religious home and I so remember my Father would always tune in Reverend Billy Graham's Revival during his heydays on our old black and white TV and we always listened to the fire and brimstone sermons that he gave. I have always had a great admiration for him and especially when he said, "God will prepare everything for our perfect happiness in heaven, and if it takes my dog being there, I believe he'll be there." Animals aren’t nearly as valuable as people, but God made the animals and he has touched many people’s lives through these animals.

We live in a world as complicated as Chinese arithmetic and no two people can agree on any one thing except that the love for a dog can melt your heart in an instant and change the whole way you look at the world. So to answer the question, I don’t know, but I know what I want. I am a pessimist and sometimes believe the worst about things but hope for the best, but if I believed in heaven and I do, and I could pick the things I wanted. At the top of the list would be a reunion of me and my dogs…and again I would see that tail wag at “just” the tip when I said their name, that head burrow between my armrest and arm, just to get a pat on the head as I type and just last night, as I write this blog, Abbie wanted to get closer to me and I backed away from the keyboard she jumped in my lap while I leaned all the way back in my chair while she licked my brow and I will tell you, if this is anything like Heaven, I’m looking forward to it…

As I suddenly appear in a beautiful unfamiliar forever home, my dogs run to meet me in all their splendor and robustness, jumping and barking and turning circles. I sit down in the cool tall grass while they all smother we with lick’s and kisses as we all roll and play and I know the Lord provided me with everything for my perfect happiness in heaven…and running from a distance like a young child would to its parent are my pups with their tongue and ears flopping from side to side, I would again see, Ranger, Ruby, Bob, Keely, Ellie, Keko, Toby, Max, Katelyn, Nelly, Thaddeus, Grace, Kacie and many many others who came to welcome me home before they ran back to their own loved ones, truly this is a dog’s lovers heaven and our journey begins…and as Dutchess can now finally speak…”Did you bring a Frisbee?” Ken

Article by: The Rev. Dale Chrisman Rector

Billy Graham tells this story: "Early in my ministry, I arrived in a small town to preach at a revival. I had a letter to mail and asked a young boy how to get to the post office. The boy told me and I said thank you. Then, I invited the boy to come to the revival meeting. I said "If you come to church this evening, you can hear me tell everyone how to get to Heaven." The boy said "No. I don't think so. You don't even know the way to the post office."

I've been thinking about Heaven lately. I've experienced several deaths of church members, family and friends. But I've also experienced several deaths of pets. Jacque and I lost our beloved yellow lab a couple of months ago. Several other members and friends have lost their pets. So, the question comes up "will we see our pets in Heaven?"

Before I address the answer to that question, let's look a minute at Heaven itself. First, I believe many ministers fail to engage this subject very often. Additionally, I think in today's society we have such a strong focus on money, sex, drugs, youth, fashion, food, that I think Heaven just gets overlooked. The Bible and subjects such as Heaven are just not very popular.

Now you might be thinking at this point: what do YOU know about Heaven, anyway? Have you ever been there?" My answer, of course is "No, not personally. But I have a very dear and close friend who has. He came here and told us about it and showed it to us. His name is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. The Prince of Peace. The King of Kings."

Let's approach the answer to the question of will we see our pets in Heaven this way.
Will We Know Each Other in Heaven?

Absolutely! On the Mount of Transfiguration, Moses and Elijah knew each other and Peter recognized them. In Jesus's story about Lazarus and the rich man, didn't the rich man, after he died, recognize Lazarus and Abraham? There's a lot of scriptural evidence that we'll know each other. Fathers will know their children, wives will know their husbands. It'll be a family reunion like no other!

We're told that, at the moment of our death, angels will accompany us. Lazarus was accompanied to Heaven by angels and in Hebrews it says "God's angels are ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation."

WILL OUR PETS BE IN HEAVEN?

• Everything needed for our total happiness will be in Heaven. Because Heaven is a place of eternal joy, and if being with our pets is what it would take to make us eternally joyful, then I believe there will be animals in Heaven.

• We know that God created animals when he created man and woman when everything was perfect. It was man and woman who disobeyed God and created sin as a barrier between us and God ... not the animals.

• We know that in the book of Elijah, he was picked up and taken to Heaven by a chariot drawn by a team of horses.

• In Isaiah, he describes what will happen once God's creation is restored: "the wolf shall dwell with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid; the calf and the young lion together; and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall feed together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain."

• If "to die is to gain" as Paul said, why shouldn't we enjoy even more in Heaven the things we loved on earth? Why wouldn't that include our beloved pets?

• And in Revelation, John describes God "making ALL things new." I believe that includes animals. Please listen to the Words of Jesus as written in John and consider how we are to prepare for Heaven. "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's House are many mansions... I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also."

What a place! Remember. As the old hymn says: "This world is not my home, I'm just a passing through." Heaven is our home, not earth. I believe firmly that there will be animals in Heaven and that means we'll be reunited with our pets that have gone on before us.
Billy Graham

I STOOD BY YOUR BED LAST NIGHT

I stood by your bed last night, I came to have a peep. I could see that you were crying, You found it hard to sleep.

I whined to you softly as you brushed away a tear, "It's me, I haven't left you, I'm well, I'm fine, I'm here."

I was close to you at breakfast, I watched you pour the tea, You were thinking of the many times, your hands reached down to me.

I was with you at the shops today, Your arms were getting sore. I longed to take your parcels, I wish I could do more.

I was with you at my grave today, You tend it with such care. I want to reassure you, that I'm not lying there.

I walked with you towards the house, as you fumbled for your key. I gently put my paw on you, I smiled and said "it's me."

You looked so very tired, and sank into a chair. I tried so hard to let you know, that I was standing there.

It's possible for me to be so near you everyday. To say to you with certainty, "I never went away."

You sat there very quietly, then smiled, I think you knew, in the stillness of that evening, I was very close to you.

The day is over... I smile and watch you yawning and say "good-night, God bless, I'll see you in the morning."

And when the time is right for you to cross the brief divide, I'll rush across to greet you and we'll stand, side by side.

I have so many things to show you, there is so much for you to see. Be patient, live your journey out ... then come home to be with me.

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