For Sheepdogs

I have never told this story to anyone but I know it all too well in my heart:
     Look up in the stars and look for Orion's belt, everyone should know what that is. Look a bit to the left and down, that's where you'll find my favorite star, Sirius. Also known as the "Dogstar" because it's in the constellation Canis Major. It's the brightest star at night and unmistakable for it's twinkle. Now it twinkles because it's actually a binary star, two stars close enough that to the naked eye it only appears to be one.
     Dave Grossman, a retired Army Lt. Colonel, wrote about how there are three types of people; Sheep, Wolves and Sheepdogs. "Most of the people in our society are sheep. They are kind, gentle, productive creatures who can only hurt one another by accident." This is because most citizens are kind, decent people who are not capable of hurting each other, except by accident or under extreme provocation. Then there are Wolves "and the wolves feed on the sheep without mercy." Wolves are the evil men in the world who commit evil acts and care less of who they would harm.
     Then there are Sheepdogs. "I'm a sheepdog. I live to protect the flock and confront the wolf. If you have no capacity for violence then you are a healthy productive citizen, a sheep. If you have a capacity for violence and no empathy for your fellow citizens, then you have defined an aggressive sociopath, a wolf. But what if you have a capacity for violence, and a deep love for your fellow citizens? What do you have then? A sheepdog, a warrior, someone who is walking the hero's path. Someone who can walk into the heart of darkness, into the universal human phobia, and walk out unscathed." It is this wisdom I've been taught that makes Sirius my favorite star. I believe that star twinkles because it is fueled by the souls of fallen sheepdogs; Soldiers, Police Officers, Firemen and ordinary citizens who gave their lives trying to protect others. And for every Sheepdog that is lost, another takes their place to protect the flock. Where ever you are, you can look up into the night sky and find it. If you happen to gaze upon that star for more than a moment, most likely I'm looking at it too.

John 10:11 "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep."

New Beginnings

So today is New Year's Day and I'm blogging from the Apple Store in the mall. Apparently the free WiFi signal I haved enjoyed at my home for the past 14 months is now gone. I am also taking an iPad for a test drive and so far I'm convinced I want one. New Year's Eve was much more eventfull this year compared to last. I wish I had more to write but the hectic environment of the mall is not exactly the best place to write my thoughts. Hopefully I'll find out how I'm going to maintain my Internet life after today. Happy New Year everyone and may this year be better than the last!