Just a couple of years ago, I had a bunch of dogs. The number varied, depending on how many rescue dogs were in residence at the time, but I averaged about 10 dogs.
That's a lot of dogs. I know that a lot of breeders have that many, and more, dogs but I am certainly no big-time breeder, and that many dogs becomes an overwhelming part of your life.
Question: Is there room for belief in God with belief in the concept of evolution?
Response: Yes! But whoa, such brevity does not a column make. Let me expand on my reply. For me, it is a very simple thing to make a faith assertion: God chose to use evolution as the process or method for bringing the earth's species into being. Can I prove it as I might prove 2 + 2 = 4?
I'm trying to think if I know anyone who always wins and never loses, and of course I don't. Even so, it's true that some people seem to be "luckier" than others. It's as if they really do have the Midas touch. Whatever they undertake appears to prosper and they make it look incredibly easily. When they make an investment, it gives a great return in record time. If they enter a contest, they win -- hands down. If they learn a new skill, such as cooking or biking, they become experts overnight. While the rest of us are trudging along in their dust, doing our best to make it to mediocre, they sail ahead, occasionally looking back as if to ask, "What's keeping you?"
If we looked closely, I'm sure we would find lots of setbacks in the lives of those "lucky" people, but they aren't obvious, on the surface. That's partly because we make assumptions about how easy things are for them, which is due, in part, to their own attitudes. They believe things are good, no matter the struggle or the immediate outcome.
Last month, I took a little time away from the clinic and traveled to Peru. Part business and part pleasure, I spoke to veterinarians regarding U.S. animal welfare and had a chance to stomp around several Incan ruins.
When driving in to Mariposa from the south end of town, visitors and residents have been greeted now for a couple years by a large blank wall on the Pizza Factory building. Last fall, Ron Willey, owner of the Pizza Factory, asked Donna Brownell and the Mariposa County Arts Council to facilitate the painting of a mural.
My wife and I like Carmel-by-the-sea. I mean what's not to like about this beautiful, artsy, dog-loving, white, sandy beach, shop-'til-you-drop kind of village?
Pets find trouble in the most unlikely places, so it is wise to have a pet first-aid kit ready before you need it. The basic principles of first aid aren't much different in animals then people, except that pets can't tell us "where it hurts" or if the bandage is on too tight. It is important to recognize that a hurt animal will instinctively bite or scratch -- even his beloved owner! So if your pet is injured, be very careful when treating it, or you will need medical attention, too.
Lenny and I are having a battle of wills.
When is a child a delinquent? Is it when he or she acts like one of the 1930's Dead End Kids?" The Dead End Kids were brought to Hollywood in 1937 to make their first of several movies, but during the process they "ran wild around the studio, destroying property," including a truck they crashed into a sound stage. MGM chose not to use them again and sold their contract to Warner Brothers. Because of their antics on the Warner Brothers studio lot, they were eventually released from that contract, too.
One day, my co-worker Timmie Bressler asked me where Merced Bottom was. She was very curious since she had been seeing references to Merced Bottom in Merced County Board of Supervisors minutes from the 1850s. I had no clue. Would that be the bottom of the county or the bottom of Merced River?
ATWATER -- A taco fiesta luncheon benefitting the California missions will be held at 11 a.m. on Sept. 6 at the Casablanca Restaurant, 2811 Shaffer Road.
You probably saw it on the news, but a 53-year-old man in Oregon requested treatment from the state's health care since he had no insurance of his own. His prognosis was not the best and he was, because of that, denied treatment.
To buy a good horse, it only takes money and at least a little bit of brains.
EDITOR'S Note: The Sun-Star has invited frequent contributor (more than 28 years) Bill Sanford to write a column in the area of religion and ethics twice a month. Sanford, a resident of Atwater, is a retired United Methodist minister. He invites your questions and can be contacted at wjsanford@sbcglobal.net. Here's his first installment:
Victor, a 2-year-old unemployed flea, makes his home in Central California. A founder of the "Brotherhood of Biting Bugs," he hopes this interview will help us to better understand fleas and become more tolerant of all biting insects.
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