Rest in Peace

Hello there my Friends and Family.

As many of you know, we lost Jackson and Sebastian on Tuesday, September 15, 2009. Shaun and I are heart broken and yet we know that they died an honorable death, protecting one another until the end. Jackson was 7 and Sebastian,Tiny, was 5. God's timing is perfect and we are grateful to have a home that is ours where we were able to bury them and keep them with us.

Our dearest friend Andrea was truly a hero and she fought the vicious pit bull who attacked our precious pups. Andrea is a sister to me and she loves our pups as much as we do. There is absolutely no one who would have gone to the lengths that she did to protect and love our pups. We are heart broken for her as well. Her dogs were there as well and they experienced the trauma too. Her dog Rizer is actually Preston's dad and her dogs got along fabulously with ours. We are all one big family.

We have been overwhelmed by the acts of kindness bestowed upon us by our Mosaic Family. People here truly do love us and we are very humbled by their actions. Shaun and I actually moved to the house this weekend in order to go ahead and move forward. The ladies of Mosaic came to my house and packed us up and we had a group of men who endured the heat and the humidity to move us on Saturday.

Our own family has been so supportive as well. We are so blessed to be loved by so many. And, know that their hearts ache as ours do. Jackson and Sebastian were so special and loved by so many. They made a positive impact on every life they they touched, even non dog lovers!

Although we are still grieving, we are learning so many things through this. I feel like I must share these things with you all as you grieve with us.

First, we know that God is sovereign! The owner of the pit bull has a 10 month old daughter. According to the owner, he put the dog down because he did not want the dog to hurt his child. Perhaps God in His sovereignty used our dogs to save this man's daughter and open his eyes to the reality of the danger that these vicious animals pose to families.

I don't care what people say about these dogs. I have experienced first hand their devastation and I pray that others will realize that these dogs are not good for anyone. Supposedly this dog had not be aggressive and snapped. I do not think that anyone should own one of these animals, especially if they have children! What if their dog snapped on their child, or their grandfather, or whomever?!?! Why even take the risk!It is not worth the pain and devastation that it causes. If you know someone who owns one of these animals, please pass on your concern and tell them about the pain and heartbreak that we are dealing with because of this animal.

I know that Jackson died defending his brother Tiny and that Tiny died defending his brother Preston. They were honorable and loyal even in death. I only pray that I can exhibit that kind of honor and loyalty in my relationships and may I be used by Him to do whatever it takes to be loyal to those who He brings to me to minister to, even if it requires me dying to myself and my selfish and sinful desires.

Jackson and Tiny loved no matter what and were always there when you needed them. They always were positive and infected everyone with that energy. They sacrificed of themselves to bring joy to others and they were obedient to their calling to love and serve. I pray that I may learn to do the same. We are called to have joy, love, patience, kindness, goodness, peace, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. May we all be moved to live like this and be obedient to our calling.

Having Jackson and Tiny so quickly taken away from us and us not being able to be there with them, really spoke to Shaun and I that we must not take relationships for granted. We are not guaranteed one minute, so please know how much we love you all and appreciate how much you have poured into us. Life is so precious! So, hug you kids, tell them that you love them. Make the time to call your friends that you take for granted as always being there for you. Send the thank you note or email that you have being procrastinating on sending. Have dinner with your friends. Go volunteer and serve someone else besides yourself. GIVE of yourself in ways that truly mean something. Humble yourself and make amends with those who you have cut off. Forgive those who you perceive have hurt you. The time is now! Don't put off today anything or anyone that God presses into your heart!

These little pups meant so much to us and we are so grateful that we had them in our family these past years. Thank you for your support and we appreciate your prayer. We are so grateful to have you in our lives and feel so blessed and encouraged as we go through this together. May we all learn from their life and love as they loved.
God bless and keep you. Much love,
Jessica and Shaun