Cleanliness may be next to Godliness but it can also be next to driving ourselves crazy.  When we try too hard to keep things perfectly clean and neat, we miss out on a lot of fun.

Joyful Springers accept muddiness.  They care more about joy than they do about having a perfect appearance or surroundings.

Of course it’s great to keep yourself and your places neat and clean, but if you’re sacrificing some big smiles to do so, you might want to welcome a little dirt into your life.

[Nana's back.  This beautiful (yes, even when she's dirty) two-year old lives with her parents, Kevin and Katie Crews in Fort Hood, Tx.]

Share on Facebook

Aldous Huxley said, “After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music.”

Joyful Springers key up the music.  They use music to help them experience a full range of emotions and find the secret treasures in their hearts.

Music is more than entertainment.  It’s a way of sitting up and finding more of the magic in the world and in your soul.  Find ways to have more music in your life, and you’ll have more harmony too.

[Meet Luke.  David and Leila Morris are fostering this handsome 19-month old.   Leila says, “This super happy boy was lost in the woods and when found had 30 wounds from losing a few fights with wild things.”  Some of Luke’s wounds were abscessed and required stitches, but now the wounds are healed, and Luke has gained 14 pounds.  He’s ready for a new home. Leila says that in spite of everything Luke has been through, “he LOVES people and is now a housetrained Velcro Springer.”  She says, “He usually howls when I play piano but would not do it for a picture. It was tough to play piano and hold a camera.”  Well, I think Luke’s handsome enough just sitting pretty on the piano bench.    Thank you, Luke, for being a Guest Star on The Joyful Springer.]

Share on Facebook

Before battle, knights put on their armor.  Before Superman leaped tall buildings, he put on his leotard and his cape.  What do you do before you go out into the world?

Joyful Springers suit up.  They slip into a vision of what they want to experience  prior to stepping out … so they more often have things go their way.

How often do you go out into the world expecting the worst?  “The traffic will be terrible.”  “I’m going to be late.”  “They’ll never say yes.”  When you precede your actions with these sorts of predictions, you’re going forth “naked,” exposing yourself to creating the very things you don’t want.  Instead of leaving yourself open to the worst, imagine yourself in a costume of triumph; envision what you want instead of what you don’t want, and be in fashion with more and more fun.

[Ducky loved playing in the bit of snow we got a couple weeks ago.  Even a few inches of the white stuff is a big deal here on the Washington Coast.  And she wants you to notice the wonderful rain suit her grandma bought for her.  Of course, Springers' coats are made for being in the outdoors, but because Ducky still wears a brace that we want to keep as dry and clean as possible, my mom paid for a very special suit for Ducky.  It's made from "Houndtex" material, which is a breathable, waterproof material like Gore-tex.

If you're curious about the Hurtta Pro Waterproof Overalls, you can check them out at Gun Dog Supply.  We're very happy with them.  They are as waterproof as they promise to be, and they do an excellent job of keeping Ducky's white feathery belly clean even when she's doing her crazy-dog romps through the mud and underbrush in the forest.  Once you get the hang of it, the overalls are reasonably easy to put on and take off.  Although they're adjustable at the waist, neck, and at the bottom of each leg, I found I needed to do a little adjustment to the front legs.  If you choose the suit's size according to the measurement chart at the site, the legs will fit to just above the dogs paws, which is fine when the dog is standing still.  But when Ducky started to run and leap, the longer legs flopped over her paws and tripped her up.  I ended up folding up the material in the front legs and sewing the folds so the front legs are much shorter.]

Share on Facebook

A lot of us try to control our lives and the lives of those around us,  We put an enormous amount of effort into getting things to go our way.  But we’re fighting a losing battle because our world isn’t supposed to be homogenous.

Joyful Springers are part of the contrast.  They understand that they live in a universe of opposites — of black and white, good and bad — and it’s the balance of those opposites that creates the beauty and wonder of life.

Instead of trying to fit in or get the world around you to fit some standard you’ve chosen, how about just letting things unfold as they will?   When you do this, you trust the Divine Force of our universe to take all the delightful contrast and create a perfect balance.

[Ritz is back.  Isn't Joan Howe's beauty gorgeous in the snow? ]

Share on Facebook

Trends and fads happen when a whole society is encouraged to focus on something in particular.  Often, if we choose to look another way, we’re labeled as “out of it” or “old-fashioned” or “backwards.”

Joyful Springers fixate their own way.  They don’t care about how others label them, and they don’t care about trends.  They follow their inner guidance wherever it leads.

When you let the outside world tell you what to pay attention to, you’re giving away your power.  You have a divine strength within you that knows what you need to focus on.  Trust that guidance.

[Pump and Butch and Marty are back.  Their momma, Helen Gibbons, probably wanted a nice face-forward photo, but Butch and Marty chose their own focus.  Good for them! ]

Share on Facebook

Ancient Roman poet, Horace wrote, “It is courage, courage, courage, that raises the blood of life to crimson splendor. Live bravely and present a brave front to adversity.”

Joyful Springers wrap themselves in crimson splendor.  They leap into every new year with the courage to create wonder in their lives.

You can go into 2012 timidly, afraid of what goes wrong.  Or you can prance into 2012 courageously, knowing you always have the power to transform wrongs into rights.

[Sweet Pea is back.  She looks gorgeous in crimson, doesn't she? ]

Share on Facebook

New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day and other parties are great, but why wait for a get-together to have a good time?

Joyful Springers are their own party.  They know how to make every day a celebration.  They do it by combining appreciation with a focus on finding what’s right about the world around them.

As you start this new year, forget typical resolutions that you’ll probably forget about within a few weeks.  Instead, set a simple intention to go through the year in “party mode.”  Celebrate your world everyday with appreciation and the desire to find the good in your life.

May your New Year be filled with pawsitively joyful tail-wags!

[Ruffles is back. Joan Howe says her sweet girl was very brave about balloons.  And obviously, she knew how to be the star of her own party! ]

Share on Facebook

We’re often hesitant to try new things.  But life is about discovery.  So why hang back?

Joyful Springers immerse themselves.  They jump into new things with such joy and exuberant expectation that they bury themselves in the fun of it all.

Don’t deprive yourself of the joy of finding a new passion.  Dive into the new and different.  You’ll be delighted by how good it will make you feel.

[Snickers is back. Darlene Hoffman's great guy knows how to dive in. ]

Share on Facebook

The presents have been opened.  Did you get what you wanted?  Or are you wishing for something else?

Joyful Springers use what they get.  They may have wants that haven’t yet been fulfilled, but in the meantime, they have a ball with whatever they have received from the universe (and from their loved ones).

The truth is you’ll never get everything you want because part of life is generating new desires all the time.  So never lament what you haven’t gotten.  Just have fun with what you did get.  When you do, more will be on its way to you in no time.

[Mattie's back.  Brenda's lovely girl obviously understands how to get the most enjoyment out of what she gets.  ]

Share on Facebook

What comes up for you when you think of Santa?  Giving?  Love?  Fun?  How about all three?

Joyful Springers santacize to the third power.  They may only don a Santa hat around Christmas, but all year round, they wear an invisible hat that reminds them to be giving, loving, and always ready for fun.

Santa doesn’t have to come around only this time of year.  If you “get your Santa on,” he can hang out with you all year round.  And when he does, every day can seem like Christmas.

[Sweet Pea and Poppy are back, and they have their sister, Daisy, with them.  Daisy is an approximately 10-year old mixed breed.  Their momma, Denise, when she sent me this photo, said, “Poppy's first Christmas is going to be a challenge. She is into everything - she's tried to make a toy out of each thing on this bench. The other two are bored with the whole thing already.”  Well, they may be bored, but they sure are cute! ]

Share on Facebook