POCKETS OF PEACE ~ DOING TIME IN DARKNESS

I suppose to some extent we have all done it...find ourselves walking blind when trouble hits...doing time in darkness.  And yes, we all too quickly discover that it takes a while to get our bearings, our footing.  It is in times like this that therapy dogs and service dogs often provide the flashlight out.  For me, 'my' wounded warriors have taught me what it is like to weep, and they have taught me what makes me fall and stumble and then somehow rise and go on.  Each day with each of them, I am challenged to live with forgiveness.  Forgiveness in those ordinary moments we encounter in life. In its basic simplicity, we are grasped by something so powerful that it is quite unmistakeable. Penny's from Heaven Foundation, Inc. and one of its two primary programs, Train a Dog Save a Warrior provides extraordinary dogs serving extraordinary people.  These dogs whether therapy or service dogs provide a bridge to healing.  Dogs that steal our hearts and nestle into our souls, quietly touching lives where they are needed the most.  There is a saying that 'courage is sometmes holding on just one more minute.'  I have seen it over and over and over again. The slightly tarnished version of our former lives somehow provides us with courage and strength and a stamina that is often hard to harness.  We become more compassionate individuals, more empathetic and more human.  We find consistently that dogs are a catalyst to repairing the spirit and finding the ability to take another step. It is as if our dogs are saying to us, "There is a purpose for your being here; you must hold on."

These dogs bring clarity and passion to ordinary moments! And should we stop and think about it, these moments are our lives.  These dogs,  that are present for the rough edges of our lives, carve out places in our hearts and provide a love that is unriveled. We might find we still have one foot in the shadows, but we begin to slowly manuever forward by intuition and love.

To our wounded warriors with PTSD/MST and/or TBI, their dogs often mean as much to them as the air they breathe. In their world, a snuggle or a paw extended from their dog means everything.  

It is difficult to say where the change begins.  Sometimes it is with a phone call, sometimes with a tear, sometimes an exulation of breath.  But regardless of how, it is a step forward and it is without a doubt a wonder, extraordinarily beautiful, and a feeling that can never be taken for granted.  What is it about these dogs that is so powerful in its influence?  As our warrior's heads bow to these dogs, life takes on a different meaning through words whispered we will never know.

I hope that you all will be able to experience an intoxicating blend of courage and inspiration in

K9'S ~ A THERAPY FOR PTSD, MST, AND TBI. 

The photos are real and untouched.  The stories true and powerful. 

For advanced orders:

POCKETS OF PEACE

K9's ~ A Therapy for PTSD, MST and TBI\

13423 Blanco Road, Suite 218

San Antonio, TX 78218

$8.00 + 1.50 S/H

Payment may be made by paypal or credit card on http://www.pennysfromheavenfoundation.org/

Tax Deductible

Autographed upon Request