Paddy Takes the Keyboard by Paddy the Golden Doodle

 

The Pride of Posey County: Paddy Takes the Keyboard

By Paddy the Golden Doodle

 

Hello, faithful readers. It is I, Paddy, the Golden Doodle. You are probably wondering why a 15-month-old puppy is writing this week’s column. Well, to put it plainly, the “Big Dog” (Grandpa, aka Pastor Jim) is swamped. Apparently, this “Christmas” thing involves a lot of running around, lighting candles, writing sermons, and looking for lost nativity sheep. He is running around like a squirrel who found a stash of highly caffeinated espresso beans.

 

So, being the ‘good boy’ that I am, I told him, “Go take a nap, Boss. I’ll handle the theology this week.”

 

While everyone else is focused on presents and wrapping paper, I have been sitting here thinking about the New Year. I know, I know—I’m only 15 months old. You might ask, “Paddy, why do you need a fresh start? Your life is just naps, treats, and belly rubs.” But I also feel the pressure! The calendar is flipping over, and I feel this urge to refresh my life. I don’t know why. Maybe I should stop barking at the mail carrier. Maybe I should finally catch that tail I’ve been chasing since 2024.

 

So, I decided to look at the Big Dog’s notes to see if there was any wisdom for a dog seeking a fresh start. As usual, the humans have a word for it. In Hebrew, the word for “Year” is:

 

שנה (shanah - shaw-naw’)

 

Now, for a dog, this word is very confusing. Grandpa’s notes say it comes from a root that means two opposite things. It means “to repeat” or “to do again,” but it also means “to change.”

 

I scratched my ear for a while thinking about that. A “Year” is a cycle. We repeat the seasons. Winter comes back (unfortunately for my paws), spring comes back (good for smelling flowers). But within that repetition, there is supposed to be a change. We aren't supposed to just run in circles—though I do enjoy that. We are supposed to be different than we were the last time around. Then I found another phrase in his Hebrew Bible study stack:

 

ראש השנה (rosh hashanah - roshe hash-shaw-naw’)

 

This means “Head of the Year.” Just like my head tells my paws where to go (usually toward the kitchen to get treats), the beginning of the year sets the direction for the rest of it. It’s a time for what the Hebrews call:

 

זכרון (zikkaron - zik-kaw-rone’)

 

This means a “memorial” or “remembrance.”

 

So here is my advice, from one tired puppy to all you busy humans: Don’t let the stress of the season cause you to forget to think about where you are going. We need to remember the past—the kibble we were given, the belly rubs we received, the grace we were shown. This should be expressed by embracing the Hope that Christ can always resurrect in our hearts at this time of year!

 

We repeat the good stuff (faithfulness, love, naps). We change the bad stuff (biting the furniture, grumbling sometimes called growling, stealing Grandpa’s socks… well maybe not the latter!)

 

Pastor Jim will be back next week once he digs himself out of the tinsel. Until then, remember that even a 15-month-old doodle knows that every new year is a chance to sit, stay, and start fresh.

 

Happy New Year from the Pride of Posey County… at least in Grandpa’s eyes!

 

Editor’s Note from Pastor Jim:

Please forgive any typos in this week's column; standard computer keyboards aren't really designed for Paddy’s paws, and I am still wiping the drool off the space bar. Paddy has been fully compensated for his ghostwriting services with a slice of cheese and two extra milk-bones. I will be back in the saddle next week. Happy New Years Day! Oh, by the way, if you have a great Church home then stay there, but if you are looking for a Church home, the good folks at Trinity Evangelical Church located at the corner of 5^th Street and Mulberry welcome you to the 10:10AM Sunday Worship Service. You are also invited to any or all of our three Christmas Eve Services at 5pm with the Puppets, or the Traditional Service at 8pm or the Country Gospel Service at 11:30pm. In addition, we are holding a Watch Night service on December 31^st at 11:30pm to pray in the new year. This will be a very unique service and I encourage you to attend. In addition, as part of Mount Vernon’s 250^th Celebration of our Country we are holding an Ecumenical Prayer Service on January 1^st at 11am. Please come and join us as we begin the celebration of our country’s founding!