Coffee With Pat Ministries

The Adventures of Cali and Pastor Pat

Part 1

Today’s devotion maybe a little long, but I feel I cannot leave out ONE detail. This devotion will probably be a three part devotion over the next few days.

I want to share with you how I know that God is working through His people. Well, at least the ones whom are willing to be a vessel for Him, and the ones whom will go with the flow when PLANS HAVE CHANGED OR HAVE BEEN REARRANGED.

I promise you with my hand up in the air that this devotion is the truth, and nothing but the truth, so help me God.

Now, on with the story.  I just returned from a ministry trip/short vacation/supposedly deliver a dog to the airport.

Why not do all these things Mama, since you are going that way. LOL

I would be leaving North Carolina with Iris Lucas, who would be traveling with me, as I Ministered and Preached, and enjoying a short vacation. But now, I would soon learn that things have a way of changing at any moment.  I would now be taking Iris to see her granddaughter, on the way to to deliver a dog, and to preach.  You know, from North Carolina, via Florida, via Georgia, via Louisiana, back to Georgia to airport again, then home.

Well, first God has a since of humor for sure. My older daughter got my younger daughter a puppy. (I should have known that I would wind up in the middle of the whole ordeal.) As a matter of fact, since I have returned home, I have informed everyone involved, that if they are thinking of getting anyone a dog, and it will involve me, STOP and KICK themselves in the backside. LOL

Now, why she, my younger, could not have gotten a puppy in California, beats me.  So, how do you get a dog from North Carolina to California? Ha, airplane! How does the dog get on the airplane? Ha! Mama since you are going that way, would you please drop Cali (the puppy) off in Atlanta at the airport? Oh, this puppy is not flying cargo, but on a special airline that flies animals only. You know, first class, private attendent, and you can see and check on your animal from your computer. Check link out below. Oh, by the way, they fly us coach when we go to visit them. Sometimes the planes I have ridden on, I think they must have gotten a good price from the local crop duster.  LOL

Ann Hopewell and Cali in the Tractor Supply

Now, this is a special puppy. Even a couple in the Tractor Supply told Ann Hopewell and myself this puppy needed to go to Hollywood, in which I said, “give me until the 24th of February and she is out of here.”  They laughed when I told them that her human mama lives in Los Angeles, and that Cali would be flying out then to Hollywood.  Her mama only lives about 5 miles from Hollywood. The gentleman said, ” I would never in a million years have expected that answer.” Hey before this story is over, I would never in a million years  have expected so many of the following events to take place.

http://petairways.com

This is when I decided, well, let me call Iris and see if she would like to leave a few days earlier, maybe February 21st, and I would take her to Florida to see her grandchildren.  Then we would leave on February 23rd to go to Georgia and visit some friends, especially one whom had said, “Pat, if you could just come and lay hands on me and pray, I know God will heal me.” ( Friends, please pray for my friend, Frances, in Georgia. Oh, because of Cali, and now me, we may be on the road to discover what maybe causing Frances’ sickness.) Then we would leave their house in Georgia on the  morning of the 24th, to drop Cali (puppy) in Atlanta to fly to California. Then, on to Louisiana, where I would Minister God’s Word.

Here is where God’s sense of humor comes into the picture.  Even before we got to Florida, I received a call that tells me Cali’s flight has been cancelled.  When I received the call, I looked at Iris and said, “God has a sense of humor.” Yes, that was the first words out of my mouth. Praise God, I was prayed up, or I may have not felt that way.  Here I am, going to preach, and now I have a dog to take with me, so I can then return to Atlanta at a later date to put her back on a rescheduled flight.

So I called my sister, Ruby, and said, “Ruby , I can come your way now, but I will have a puppy with me, is that okay?” She agreed, no problem.  So off we go to continue our trip. Pastor Pat, Iris, and now Cali. The Three Amigos.

Grandma Pastor Pat and Cali

Oh, before I stopped using Ms. Clairol, number no gray. LOL

By now, Cali has become very close to her human grandma, and I have become pretty fond of her.  She has had the best Veterinary Care, medicines, shots, flea and tick treatment, and of course her Heart Guard.  Before this story ends, you will see that Grandma Pat should have been treated also with Frontline for ticks and fleas. And, Praise God, I did have my Heart Guarded.

We arrived in Florida, where I dropped Iris off at her grandchildren, and Cali and I headed to a hotel.

So, now my trip involves me getting up early each morning for the next few days, so Cali and I can pray as we take our morning walk, and Cali taking care of a little extra business herself in the beautiful Florida weather. (Oh, except the day it rained). Then we would go back to our room, feed Cali her breakfast, study God’s Word, get dressed, and go to spend some time with Iris and her family.  I left Cali in the hotel room, returning several times a day to let her out of her kennel to go potty. Well, sometimes I did not have to let her out. Yes, a 10 week old puppy, who weighed a total of 9 lbs at the time, suddenly became,  I truly believe, Houdini.  She would unzip her portable kennel. ( A big kennel for a 50lb dog, so she would have plenty of room.) I should have known, because this is the same puppy, that at 2 lbs, pushed her blanket and toy up to the corner of a 2 foot high 30 gallon container and would jump down to the floor. I have video to prove it.

There were times I was so glad I had just finished praying for the housekeeper, or the hotel clerk, or ministering to one of the guests, who would come up to me and ask me to pray for them, because someone had told them that there is a preacher that would be glad to pray for them. I think that few days in Gainesville, Florida, everyone decided I had the means to solve all their  problems. I would tell them I cannot do anything, but I know a God who can. The housekeeper grabbed me one morning, and started dancing. She said, “you prayed for me, and God healed me. Praise God!”

Oh, why was I glad I had just prayed with someone? Because, when I walked into the room, Houdini had managed to unzip her kennel to look up a number in the phone book. I figured that either she could not find the number she was looking for, and she got disgusted, or  pizza delivery boy would not deliver a pizza to her, so she took it out on the 6 inch thick telephone book and chewed it to pieces. Do you know how many pieces there are to pick up from a shredded 6 inch  thick telephone book?

I DO!

 

Who Me? I did not do it.

I do not chew things. I plead not guilty.

Oh, she is also a very good advisor on what you need to wear for the day. If she does not like what you have picked out, including shoes, she takes them to her kennel, and gets you something else that she likes better for you to wear. I am so glad I took three pair of tennis shoes with me on this trip.

While walking Cali, everyone fell in love with her. The hotel owner, housekeeper, guests, yard workers, and each and every person she came in contact with. But, while walking her I managed to lose a necklace that I had been wearing for over 28 years. Joe wears the other half. It is a heart that states best friends with the date we got married and our names engraved on it. (June 18, 1977) Oh, the necklace was found, but not where you expected. You will find out later on in this devotion. No, it was not in Cali’s kennel, maybe the only thing that did not get into her kennel on that trip.

Friends when you are friendly to others and they see God in you, they will go out of their way to help you. The hotel had all their employees, including the people blowing the leaves off the sidewalk, looking for my necklace. I told them I could have bought another one for under $50.00, but that one was just sentimental.  They were so determined to find that necklace for me.

Remember, when you show God’s Love, God will always have someone there to help you when you need help. Someone asked me if it frightened me to be alone at the hotel. I said, “no.” I know that I have a big God, and He is in control. I know that when I pray, study His word, and take the time to have an intimate relationship with Him, He will watch over me. He will protect me from anything that tries to come against me and harm me. So why should I be afraid?

Psalm 91 ¹ He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.  ² I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” ³ Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare  and from the deadly pestilence. ⁴ He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge;  his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. ⁵ You will not fear the terror of night,        nor the arrow that flies by day, ⁶ nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. ⁷ A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand but it will not come near youPart 2 of the story will be tomorrow’s devotion. Remember, we have not even reached the flea and tick part yet. And remember, it was not Cali that had the problem. LOL

Oh, the names have not been changed to protect the innocent.

Part 2
The Adventures of Pastor Pat and Ca

I do hope you enjoy the next few nights of The Adventures of Pastor Pat, Cali, and Iris. You will see and hear more about Iris in the Louisiana section.

By the end of this series, you will see many miracles that God has performed, and how many people were touched, including myself,  just because I was obedient and accepted change

Also, how He allowed certain things to happen that would affect the coming days, and people, in mighty ways.Also, if you missed Part I of this series, scroll down to yesterday’s devotion.

Cali, first night in North Carolina, at Aunt Tara’s
2 pounds of love. As you can see in picture below, her toy and she were the same size.

Cali came to us via her Aunt Tara.  Again, I said, “how did I get involved with this situation? And little did I know that Cali and I would soon become traveling partners.

When we first brought Cali to our house, our dogs, Sara and Katie, thought, “Oh no! What is this thing?”

Sara and Katie saying, “What is this thing?” Pictures below tell the or show the conversation.

Cali’s first day at grandma’s

 

Sara whispering to her, “Now here is how it is, if you do not piddle on the floor, you will get Grandma to do anything for you. Now take my advice on this, okay?.”

Well, all I can say is Cali listened pretty good. And she is an excellent traveler.
We left Florida for Cusseta, Georgia, on February 23rd. Cali in tow in the back seat, in her portable kennel. Iris riding shotgun, and of course, myself driving.

Why were we going to Georgia anyway? Remember, to put Cali on a plane for California, which would leave from Atlanta, something that has not happened yet.

Again, how do you handle change in your schedule, or your plans? You listen to God and just do it. Do not stress over it, just go with the flow.
So, while passing from Florida to Atlanta we would be going right by our dear friends’ house, Junior and Frances. How did I meet these people down in Georgia?  My daddy was in civil service at Ft. Benning, and my family lived in Cusseta when I was in the 4th through 9th grades.

I would have gone to Cusseta School for the 10th grade, but our school was burned to the ground the night before the first day of desegregation was to begin. So, we were bussed to Buena Vista, Georgia, to attend school.

I also walked the aisle at Cusseta Baptist Church at the age of 10, to give my life to God to be a Missionary, to preach His word. And of course First Baptist Church in Dothan, Alabama is where I was saved at the age of 5 years old. So, traveling and ministering through my old stomping grounds was an honor for me. “God is so Good. All the time God is Good.”

Oh, I also had my very first double date there in Cusseta, one week before I turned 16. My daddy was not happy at all with the decision of Mama letting me go to the party. Only 3 houses down from our house. LOL

Anyway we dated for over a year, until my daddy retired and we moved to Louisiana. Don’t tell Joe, (I got my first kiss in Cusseta.) Hey, it does not bother Joe. We went to a class reunion there, and Joe got a picture of me giving Jim a hug, and him hugging me back. My girls said, “Mom, he was and is cute.” They showed pictures of us in school. I told them to look at their dad, I have pretty good taste. LOL

This is the reason I was excited about visiting old friends. What a time we had. Even Cali was welcome in their home. I called them ahead of time and made sure. As you can see below, they gave her a nice place to sleep the one night we were there. Now, they were, as my sister Ruby, not really pleased about it, but they helped us out in our need.

Oh, by the way, since Cali stayed in their home, well they say that they blame it on me. LOL They now have a 5 pound puppy. A Yorkie. Hummmm? Cali must have touched their sweet hearts with her sweet heart.

Cali resting after a long day of traveling to Georgia

After arriving at their home, I asked Frances if I could do some wash. She said please go ahead, make yourself at home. So, I got my dirty clothes out of the car and took them to the utility room.  Frances had told me she had some clothes in the washer and dryer, but as soon as they were removed I could wash them.

I continued to get our things out of the car, and got Cali settled and walked her. Then she ate, and was ready for a long nap.

Junior and Frances were so surprised that Cali did not bark or whine one time. She is such a good puppy.

While I was there, another friend, Judy, dropped in to visit and I forgot the wash. We began talking about the Lord, and praying for her brother, Peter, and time flew by so fast. It must have been over an hour, because the next thing I knew, Frances had already started the first load, and began to put it in the dryer. She came into the living room, and in her hand was… guess what? My necklace. Yes, the necklace was somewhere in my clothes all day long the day I lost it. I realized that it was not on my neck when we were at Iris’ granddaughter’s house in Florida around lunch time, so I went over 12 hours with the necklace in my clothes somewhere. I still do not know how nor where.

Listen, we even went out to eat that night at the Cracker Barrel, and the necklace still stayed in my clothes. That is also the night Iris’ granddaughter came back to the hotel, helped me look for my necklace, and I even called myself checking my clothes while they were still on me. That is also the night that I was down on the floor picking up millions and zillions of pieces of telephone book. And that necklace miraculously did not fall out of my clothes. And because I got so hot and sweaty looking for the necklace and cleaning up after Cali, I pulled my clothes off and put in the dirty clothes bag. I usually would wear a pair of jeans two days in a row. But not that night. I only wore those jeans once. (See, God still doing His thing.)

See how good God is to us if we are living according to His word?  He knows the desires of our heart and things that are so special to us, even small things like a necklace.

John 15:7
If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you can asked what you will and it shall be!!!

See, that little word, “IF.”  If you are following this verse, you will only want what God wants for you, and your desires shall be God’s desires also.

God knew I loved that necklace, and He allowed it to hang somewhere in my clothes, and not fall off the entire day. Again, even while I was on the floor picking up pieces of the phone book that Cali and shredded.

Hey, you may have some tough times, but know that God is always there for you. I did not like having to clean the room after Cali’s assault attack on the phone book, but I did not get mad, I just told her NO! Bad! and starting cleaning the room. Afterwards, she walked up to the side of the bed, and wanted me to pick her up. I did and she told me she was sorry, by giving me a lot of sweet puppy kisses on the side of my neck. I will not let any dog kiss me on the face,  and I do not allow dogs in my bed also, but wait until about Part 4 of this series.

The tiny chain was in a hundred little knots. But between Junior, Frances and Iris, they got them all out by using a needle. The heart was not even hurt in the wash. Hey, another miracle, the small necklace did not spin out and down the drain while the washer was in spin cycle.  God doing His thing again.

We had the best time. Frances cooked the most delicious Taco Soup and homemade cornbread. I was in hog heaven. She put broccoli and cheese in her cornbread. Honey, it was so good that it would make you as we say in the south, ‘want to slap your grandma.’ LOL (not really we respect our elders. It is just a saying.”

Another friend, Hubert, and his family, came for supper, and he brought deer chili. I had already filled up on the soup, but I told Hubert I wanted to taste his chili and see if he was a good cook. I said now I only want just a little, like barely 1/4 of a bowl. I can tell you that he does not know his measurements, because I also inquired how much hot sauce was in the chili. He said he only put a teaspoon in the pot.  I reminded him I may have been born in Louisiana, but my stomach was now North Carolina.   Again, he must have been sick the day they studied measurements in school. My first bite was I thought okay, but then by the second, steam was coming out my ears. He was laughing at me, and saying, “Pat you do not need to finish it.” I tried a little more to be polite, but soon handed him the bowl and asked to look at the teaspoon he used. The chili was delicious, and if my mama was alive she would have enjoyed seeing all these friends grown up, and doing so well, and she could have eaten Hubert’s chili. She ate hot and spicy things, until just a few weeks before she took her Heavenly Journey Home, at the age of 93.

After company left, we sat around talking about old times, and of course the Lord. I prayed for Frances’ body to be healed, and we had church. Then we all went to bed. The next morning we got up, packed and headed for Louisiana.

Now remember from last nights story,  ticks, and me walking Cali when I got to Georgia, and in Georgia several times. Well, tomorrow you will learn a little more of that story. Also, look forward to Cali and the Cows, Iris and the Crawfish boil, Hunter’s Chapel, Revival, Ice Cream and much more.
Please know that change happens. It sometimes happens for a reason and a season. Do not worry, just hold on to God.
As Cali says below: How sweet it is.

Oh, I ate to much. But how sweet it is……..
Devotion Written and Posted By: Pastor Pat Aman  Book © 1996/2015, “Coffee With Pat Daily Devotionals”