Work Hard, Rest Hard

Yesterday, we picked up our puppy, Mozzy. It's been an interesting and fun 2 days, as we've been learning Mozzy's personality and attempting to train him. Neither of us have had a puppy before, so it's a whole new experience! (Case in point: Mozzy was up at 4am this morning ready to play...Good practice for a baby, I suppose.)

One thing that has become quickly clear: Mozzy takes his job very seriously. As a puppy, Mozzy's job in life is to play. So when he plays, he plays hard! He throws his whole body into his work, whether he is gnawing on a chew toy, running after a ball, or climbing into a pile of pillows. He has very little fear and doesn't hold back.

Another important part of Mozzy's job, though, is to rest. As a growing puppy, he needs more sleep than most dogs and because of his energetic play, he wears himself out. So after an intense play session, he goes and takes an hour nap! Just like Mozzy plays hard, he also rests hard.

I was thinking about Mozzy's "life philosophy" today and realized I can learn some important lessons from him. First of all, we should take our work seriously and put 100% of our effort in every time. For us, that means working diligently on language learning while we're in this phase of ministry and earnestly seeking out opportunity to live out (sometimes without words!) the gospel with the people we meet. But just like we need to work hard, we also need to rest. Like Mozzy, we need to take the time to sleep, take care of ourselves and do the things that give us rest, so that we are ready for the next challenge. We also need spiritual rest - times with the Lord in prayer and studying his Word, so we are spiritually prepared for the work ahead. Without the proper rest, we are ill-equipped to completely the work God has laid out for us in Austria.

So, may we be more like Mozzy - working hard and resting hard, throwing our whole selves into the tasks God has given us!

Panting on the couch in between play sessions.

Working hard to destroy his chew stick (which he devoured in 24 hours).

Resting in his "house" in the living room

Fast asleep on the couch after a tiring hour of "work"

Asleep in the bathroom, where the tiles can keep him cool and he can sniff Nate's sneakers!

A Royal Pup

This morning, we met a new family member - our first puppy! We have been wanting to get a dog for years, but were waiting until we got here and were settled. This month, we are taking care of a dog for some friends, and we've really fallen in love with this breed - the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. They are sweet, calm and love to cuddle. They are also at the top of many lists we've read for the best apartment dogs. So we did some research and found a breeder in Austria!

We picked an adorable male puppy from the litter this morning and put down a deposit. They are only 6 weeks old now, so we will be able to take him home in the middle of August, when he's grown a bit more and gotten the nutrients he needs from his mother. But it was fun to meet him!

We haven't picked a name yet, but we're researching popular names in Austria. Feel free to comment with your ideas!

We have always been told that getting a dog is a great way to make new friends here and meet neighbors. Dogs are really popular here and when we take the dog to the "dog park" to play, we can make new friends, too! We'll see!

The puppy meets Nate.

Isn't he just adorable?!

The Exciting End of an Era!

Today, Nate got his braces off! After 2 years of having to deal with discomfort and not being allowed to eat popcorn or sticky foods, he has finally been set free. Here is a "photo journal" of our exciting visit to the orthodontist today...

Nate waits in the chair for Dr. Opin to remove his braces

Dr. Opin goes to work!

Nate gets some comfort from the therapy dog, Cooper. (Cooper is seriously the coolest part of every visit to the orthodontist!)

Nate and Cooper celebrate

All done!