Last Wednesday night when we arrived home from church, our dogs greeted us at the door just as they always do. We gave them some loving, and then headed to the kitchen for a snack. (Does anyone else get REALLY hungry during church?)

As I was looking through the refrigerator, I noticed there was only a small amount of milk in the container. We had a new jug of milk, so I thought the remainder of the first container would be a nice little treat for the dogs. They love milk! So, I poured a little into each of their bowls, and they drank greedily.

As they were drinking, Jason and I found a snack and began eating as we stood at the kitchen counter. Mitch, having finished his milk, came in and sat in front of Jason. With the most convincing look he could muster, he stared at Jason pitifully. I made some comment about the "poor starving puppy." Jason replied, "Yeah, his act would be much more convincing if he didn't still have milk dripping from his chin." I laughed, but then a hidden message hit me.

I do the same thing. I go to God with my "wish list." I look to Him with my poor-pitiful-me eyes. "I need this. I need that. I lack so many things," I tell Him. Little do I realize that I have blessings dripping from me. I don't NEED anything. I WANT a lot of things, but that's not the same thing. It is so easy to get into the frame of mind that I've been done wrong. Do you ever feel like that?

They have the job I want. They have money. They have a nice car. They live in a nice house. They have this, and they have that. I don't have any of that stuff, boo hoo! What a load of nonsense, but I fall for it time and time again. How dare I stand before God demanding more when I have blessings dripping from my chin!

Thankfully, God is a very patient and understanding God. Still, I don't want to be ungrateful for the many ways that He's blessed me. I don't want to ever lose sight of all that He's done for me. I pray that I will never forget, and that I will ever be mindful of the blessings I've received.

Excerpt from 'Paws'itively Divine: Devotions for Dog Lovers -- now available in paperback and e-book formats.