Dear Lord, Help me be the person my dog thinks I am. Love, Beth

I'm sure many of us have heard this familiar bumper sticker- but I never realized exactly how true it is until we got Maeby. Though she has been nothing but a positive addition to our lives, it has placed more pressure on my moral character than I could have ever thought.

Maeby is a pretty smart dog. Now, I know, everyone's dog is the smartest dog in the world, blah, blah, blah...but she has started surprising us on a daily basis by the things that she is remembering and learning that we aren't even TRYING to teach her! I can't even IMAGINE how children are! The newest thing is her anticipation of my return from work in the evening. When I leave the gym to come home at night, I usually call Nick to let him know I'm coming. About 15 minutes later, I arrive home to a puppy on the brink of implosion from excitement.

Well, last night, Nick noticed something about this routine. The phone rang, and Maeby went and sat next to it to watch Nick answer and then say "Hi, Sweetie!" Remembering the previous nights and that Nick must be talking to me on my way home, she ran to the door, her tail wagging furiously and stared into the dark street, expecting to see me drive up any second. Nick just started laughing at the preperation this little dog goes through to greet me at night.

So, about 10 minutes later, I come onto the porch, and she almost breaks through the front door when she sees me. It is just about the most amazing feeling in the world. It makes me wonder if God goes through the same thing when we enter his house- but I suppose that line of thought might be too metaphorical for people to stomach.

All I know is that it makes me want to be a better person in order to deserve the greeting my little puppy gives me on a daily basis.