Winning Bloodlines
4 May 2022
I never tiring from hearing the interesting backgrounds and talents of our dynamic Christ Our Shepherd disciples. You folks are amazing.
This past week I learned about two royal bloodlines . . . sort of.
First is the story of Andrea Fisher, whom many of you remember as a new 26-year old COS member who jumped in with both feet on our stewardship team. Engineering for Duracell in Newnan, Andrea and her boyfriend Derek also find time to breed dogs. If dogs could go to college, their dog Addy would be receiving scholarship offers from the Ivy Leagues. Addy has won five Master National passes in her eight short years of life. Andrea arranged for the award-wining Addy to get together with Grady, a daddy dog who won the prestigious National Field Trial. As a result, Addy delivered eight wonderful puppies who birthed a ton of joy to all our confirmands when Andrea brought them to COS as seven-week old pups. COS kids of all ages took turns on the cuddle and love fest! Because of the superior blood lines of momma and papa, these highly sought-after little retrievers have been purchased by families in Georgia, Louisiana, Illinois, Minnesota, and California. Their “blood” destines them to be both superior hunters and outstanding family dogs.
The second story is from Wendy Livingston who grew up and raised her family here at COS and own Windy Oaks Horse Farm in town. Through her student days at University of Kentucky, she was given the privilege of choosing a horse of her choice to show. Wendy set her sights on a stallion turned out in a lonely field. But Wendy knew he had the bloodlines of Mito Commander, a well-known, successful show horse. Wendy trained her new horse, UK Mito Boss, who ended up winning “Horse of the Year” in Ohio, under Wendy’s tutelage. As the years went by, Wendy arranged for the powerful bloodlines of her original horse to strengthen the horses she was breeding here in Georgia. One neat chapter in this story transpired last week: a colt born at Wendy’s farm earned the funny name, Needa Cat Nap, aka Marlon. But Marlon woke up big time to win last week the NSBA Champion trophy in the over fences class at the World Equestrian Center in Ocala, FL. Wendy says the competition was tough but Marlon followed in his winning father’s and grandfather’s footsteps—and strong bloodline–by winning Champion! Folks nationwide are now interested in purchasing Marlon.
Powerful bloodlines. They make a difference. Gospel-writer Matthew traces Jesus’ bloodline all the way to King David to emphasize Jesus’ kingly destiny. Gospel-writer Luke traces Jesus’ lineage all the way back to Adam to stress how Jesus is connected to all of us.
Some days I feel more like a mutt, like my dog Breezy, rather than incredible thoroughbreds or purebreds.
But in 1 Peter 2.9, we hear that we “are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession.” Through Jesus’ blood, Jesus says we’re connected to a new covenant, in which each of us is born-afresh with incredible pedigree: forgiven, chosen, gifted. Jesus’ blood covers us, runs through us in a way, and makes all the difference.
Let us pray:
Dear God, thanks for the inspiring stories from Andrea and Wendy. Just as they care about the power of their animals’ bloodlines, thanks for making sure we, too, get the very best: the blood, the DNA, the family line that connects us as brothers and sisters of Christ. Help us celebrate and live out our baptismal pedigree. In Jesus’ name, Amen.