One of Ray Comfort's tracts given to robbers during hold-up

I can only imagine the look on their faces when they

saw that the millions had the gospel on the back.

Click HERE to watch the clip.

Life is hard - My dog has been given 2-4 weeks to live

My husband and I found several lumps on our dog (Baby) the other day - they seemed to appear over night. Baby has always been a healthy dog and she's pretty young too. Above is one of my favorite pictures of her and Emilio from earlier this year.

Emilio and I got married in Nov of 2003 and the next year I was bugging him for a dog. For about a month my friend Jaylene and I would pay a visit to the Riverside Pound and look for a dog after we got off of work.

I'd come home each time saying, "I think I found the dog I want".

"We're not home enough to take care of a dog...it wouldn't be fair to the animal." Emilio wisely would respond to me.

After several attempts of trying to coerce him, I decided to go straight to God.

"Lord, since Emilio won't give me a dog...I pray that you will."

I told Emilio what I was praying to the Lord and he just smiled at me and shook his head.

The week after I prayed, Emilio and I were studying Koine Greek at our kitchen table. It was about 11pm at night and we heard rustling in the back yard. I thought it was an opossum -they were drawn to our house since we had a lot of bushes - this was a normal sound that we'd hear late at night.

Emilio walked over to the sliding glass door, "I think there is a pit bull in our back yard!" He yelled.

My heart leaped for joy. You should have seen my face. "How cool!" I thought.

We ran outside together and sure enough there was a stray mangy-looking white dog hiding in the corner of the yard. She found her way in through a missing slat on our fence.

It was drizzling that night and the dog was getting wet...it just broke my heart. I wanted to take it in the house. Emilio tried to get her out of the corner but it was too wet and she started growling. She was afraid of us. I don't blame her. :-)

So to no avail at capturing her, went went back in the house and she spent the night in the back yard. The next morning she was gone.

For the next week or so I saw her roaming around the neighborhood -we lived in a pretty bad part of town in Riverside, CA at the time and so stray dogs were pretty common, but none had made it in our back yard like she did.

Each time I saw her roaming the streets she looked more and more skinny as the days went by.

One time I tried to get close to her with my car and I rolled down my passenger window and said, "Come here you cute little baby....come here baby...I'll take you home with me and take care of you!"

She took one look at me and was off - as fast as lightening.

A couple days later it was a Saturday morning, Emilio was gone and I looked out the sliding glass door and she had made her way back in the yard! But this time it was sunny outside and she was lying on her side soaking up the sun as it was beating down on her little skinny body.

I quickly ran to the kitchen, grabbed some chicken, and prayed, "Lord, I pray that dog won't attack me...I pray that it will like me...and let it not want to leave again."

I slowing approached her and she got up quickly, looked at me and then she crouched down as low to the ground as possible and started creeping towards me. I was kind of afraid of her. I wasn't sure what she was going to do. But I opened my hand and she took the food and feel into my lap.

Emilio came home and couldn't believe she returned. When I asked him what I should name her... he said, "Well, you've been calling her "baby" all of this time...why don't you name her 'Baby'. "

She's been a part of the family ever since and I didn't even have to go to the pound to get her - God brought her to us. :-)

The above video is in our old back yard in California. We probably only had Baby for about a week or so. She's much heavier now. She loves to eat.

I'm reminded of Job when he says "The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord." God is good when He gives and He is good when He takes away.

We took Baby to the vet on Monday of last week and they ran some tests on the lymph nodes that were swollen and gave her about 2-4 weeks to live. She has Lymphosarcoma (cancer of the lymph nodes). I could hardly believe my ears. We thought we'd have her for many more years. This just came out of the blue and it is a reminder that life is short, isn't it!

Death can sneak up upon us when we least expect it. I've come to realize more and more that this place is not my true home - I can't wait to see the Lord and be in heaven where there is no more pain and suffering. And I can't imagine some of the suffering that many of you have gone through or are going through right now - but God can.

The other day I was doing chores in the house, Baby was in her bed in the front room, and Emilio's bible was on the coffee table. It's funny because I had been walking past it all morning and well into the day and I hadn't even noticed it on the table. But at that moment it was as if it jumped out at me. I was pretty sad about Baby... and I knew the only place I could find comfort was in the Words of Christ. I walked over to the bible and I saw that that it was opened to John 14-16 and my eyes hit these words "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you." (John 14:18).

About an hour later one of my dear friends emailed me this:

"Oh...Trish... Job 12:10..."In His hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind." Look forward to this time with the Lord because just when you feel as if you can't even breathe...He'll renew your strength and be more precious than ever. I know you know this but I also want to reassure you that when those times do come, remember, you are not an "orphan," yet the daughter of The King Most High."

By this point, I was a teary mess.

That very same day I went on to the Chandler's blog (this family has been going through a trail way beyond mine) and I read this verse from Lauren Chandler:

For the righteous will never be moved;
he will be remembered forever.
He is not afraid of bad news;
his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD.
His heart is steady;
he will not be afraid,
until he looks in triumph on his adversaries.
Psalm 112: 6 -8

Then on Tuesday, Sue (Ray Comfort's wife) comforted me by sharing what happened the day that they lost their dog:

"One brighter note that came of it though was we left the Vet's at the same time as another lady and her daughter who had just had their big dog put to sleep. We were all crying and Ray handed the lady a Million dollar bill tract to cheer her up and we all ended up laughing and consoling each other. It must have looked funny really. Ray saved the day again."

I hope that if your struggling with something or if you'd had bad news come your way that you'll be encouraged by some of the scriptures that I've mentioned.

I've been mediating on timely resolution:

"Resolved, when I feel pain, to think of
the pains of martyrdom, and of hell."
Jonathan Edwards, Resolution #10

(all of his resolutions are good daily meditations)

When my friend Jaylene heard about Baby (she's a dog lover too) she sent me this:

My soul, wait in silence for God only,
For my hope is from Him.
He only is my rock and my salvation,
My stronghold; I shall not be shaken.
On God my salvation and my glory rest;
The rock of my strength, my refuge is in God.
Trust in Him at all times, O people;
Pour out your heart before Him;
God is a refuge for us. Psalm 62:5-8

As I walked out of the vet on Monday afternoon, I had a big lump in my throat but I held back the tears, reached into my handbag, and handed the lady at the counter a gospel tract. She laughed. There was another lady there that wanted one as well. They were both grateful.

It was a bitter sweet moment.

I thank God for bringing me this special dog and I pray that she defies all the bad reports and lives till she 19 yrs old. After all she may want to stick around to keep eating my burnt pizzas. :-)

And if she doesn't, praise be to God for giving us wonderful gifts like the gifts of pets.

"A righteous man has regard for the life of his animal, But even the compassion of the wicked is cruel." Prov 12:10

One day everything that I hold dear will be stripped away by death. But I thank God for the good news of the gospel.

"He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away." Rev 21:4

If you're reading this, I'm sure you've had some sort of suffering in your life. Isn't it true that the longer we live the more we will experience the loss of loved ones and the loss of our possessions? Things grow old, don't they? That new car isn't so new anymore. Pets grow old and die, people grow old and die. Life is hard.

The Bible gives us the answer for death and how we can have everlasting life. We experience death because Adam transgressed against God in the Garden of Eden (Gen 3). Now, we all have to go through suffering. But who of us hasn't sinned? All we have to do is look at God's law (the 10 Commandments) and see how we measure up. We've all told lies, or perhaps we've stolen or looked with lust. Who of us hasn't done this? The bible says that the soul that sins will surely die (Ezekiel 18:4). "Whosoever commits sin transgress also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law" (1 John 3:4). When we have to face God on Judgment Day we'll be guilty of breaking his holy law. But wait! There's Good News!

God Himself made a way for sinners to be forgiven...Listen to this...

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16). Jesus Christ was fully God and fully man and was without sin. He suffered and died on the cross and then He rose from the dead, defeating death. You broke the Law and Jesus paid the fine with His precious blood for sinners! Today, here's what to do, confess your sins to God, repent (turn) from your sins, put your trust in Jesus to save you from eternal damnation, and you will pass from death to life. Only through Christ can God forgive you and grant you the gift of everlasting life.

Trust in Him today and death will no longer have a sting and you will have victory in Jesus Christ (1 Cor 15:50-58). Thank you for reading this and I hope you've found comfort that will last forever.

Be the 150,000th person on my blog and WIN this Homemade Handbag Filled with TRACTS!

I've moved the hit counter to the very top right side of this blog and if you're the 150,000th person to view my blog...you'll be the winner of the Homemade Handbag Filled with Tracts!

There are 6 pockets on the inside - just the perfect size to fit all your tracts. (Bible, wallet and little shoe not included. The shoe is for a new "2 Minute Tip" that I'll share with you in the days to come).

Sorry, dog and flowers not included. :-)

There is 1 pocket on the front and 1 on the back (on the outside of the bag) - making a total of 8 pockets!

Here's what you must do TO WIN:

If the counter turns to 150,000 and you're on my site...

1) Either take a photo of my blog and email (email [at] fishwithtrish.com) it to me as proof that you were the 150,000th person, or

2) Hit the "print screen" button and that will capture the blog (make sure you can see the hit counter before you hit the "print screen" button you can paste the picture onto a paint document after you print screen)...then send me an email as proof...

If its close to the 150,000th mark (within 15 hits give or take) send me a photo and if no one sends a photo of the blog with the counter at "150,000", I will choose the person who comes closest to the 150,000th mark to win the bag. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

Open to U.S. and Canada residents only.

An atheist makes a way for the Gospel to be heard

Last Thursday my friends Jon Speed and Tim Crawford headed up to the University of North Texas to share their faith. Prior to going, they put in for a free speech permit two months ago and The Dean of Students Office honored the permit for the 19th. But with in that 2 month period UNT changed their free speech policy - so after the 19th UNT won't allow any open-air preachers on campus unless they have a sponsoring student organization.

On Thursday, Jon preached for the last time on the Sovereignty of God and how God is Sovereign even when He allows the UNT administration to change their free speech policy so that open-air preachers cannot come on campus without a sponsoring student organization.

After he finished, a young atheist man named Stewart who they have witnessed to several times and who was on Wretched Radio with me in February of this year (you might remember him from my "Stewart has a problem" video) asked Jon about what he was saying with regard to the free speech policy. Jon explained as Stewart listened, "The Dean of Students office will not allow us back on the campus without student group sponsorship and that most Christian student groups don’t like to be aligned with open-air preaching (or any evangelism for that matter)".

Stewart left, made a phone call, and came back and said that he has a secular student organization that would be willing to sponsor Jon and Tim's ministry and that he would be willing to be the contact person backing them. He gave them his phone number and the authorization to put the student organization name on the application!

I was so filled with joy when I heard this!

In other words, an atheist is helping Christians so that they can continue to preach at UNT!

Stewart told Jon, "I don’t agree with your message, but I hate to see anyone’s right to free speech taken away. You have the right to be heard."

Isn't this wonderful!

In Jon's words, "Our Sovereign God is able to use atheists to keep the gospel coming to UNT."

Two atheists agree to meet for ice-cream

Meet Caleb. He was on Wretched Radio with Todd Friel on Wednesday.

I tried to take better pictures of him but the minute I handed him the phone, to talk with Todd, he began walking very quickly back and forth on the University North Texas campus.

Here's another attempt to take a pic of him but it turned out a bit blurry.

After the program, Caleb and his new friend (Justin) accepted my offer to meet for ice-cream with my husband and I to talk more about our opposing worldviews. I'm looking forwarded to hearing from them.

Caleb thank you for being on the air with Todd on Wednesday - it really means a lot that you'd take the time to do this. Justin, if you're reading this...thank you for taking the time to listen to me share the Gospel with you. I know that it sounded like foolishness to you...but like I said, God uses the foolishness of preaching to save people from their sins. If you're both reading this, you still have time to be reconciled to God. Don't wait another minute. Please consider the words of Jesus Christ (John 14:6). I'm looking forward to hearing from you guys to set up another time to meet and bring some friends too. Please feel free to leave a comment below.

The Back of the Doggit Tract Revealed

Hi Friends, I've made couple of changes to my new "Doggit" tract. If you remember, the front was going to say, "IQ Test" but it will now say something like “Biology Test”.

With the help of my friend, Paul Taylor (Senior Speaker / Head of Media) with Answers in Genesis in Europe I've come to the finalize the text that will appear on the back of the tract. This is what it will read:

“If you guessed ‘Doggit’ (a mix between a dog and a rabbit) then you’re right! Evolutionists say that there must be transitional fossils, representing the evolution of one kind of animal into another, by incremental changes over millions of years. Although there appear to be transitional forms, showing the development of new species within kinds, this would be expected within a biblical worldview, where God made animals to reproduce according to their kind, but there are no fossils showing intermediates between two different kinds. Dogs developed from wolves, within the dog kind. They do not change into cats! What we can learn from fossils is that those creatures lived, were buried suddenly, and died. Have you ever wondered where you will go when you die? Judge yourself by the 10 Commandments to see if you are good enough to go to Heaven - Have you lied (even once), stolen (value is irrelevant), dishonored your parents? Those are just three of the 10 commandments and if you broke one, on Judgment Day you'll be found guilty and end up in Hell. But God made a way for you to be forgiven! Jesus Christ took the punishment sinners deserve for breaking God's Laws when He died on the cross, and then rose from the dead. If you repent and trust in Him, God will forgive your sins and grant you everlasting life. You may not have tomorrow. Please don't wait another minute to be reconciled to God.”

Finally, here's a few comments from Paul Taylor in his recent email to me - I thought you might be blessed by this, "I agree that the purpose of fossils is to speak about death and God’s judgment. Just as the Israelites were supposed to answer their children about the stones of witness, when they asked “what mean these stones?”, we need to tell our children what the fossils mean – that God ended His first world with a judgment of water, but sent an Ark of salvation. Similarly, there will be a Day of Judgment of fire, and we need Jesus, our Ark of Salvation, to fireproof us against the judgment to come."

I thank God for Paul and all our friends at Answers In Genesis. Thank you Paul for your assistance with this tract!

New and Improved Gospel Tract Bike

I wonder how many gospel tracts I could fit in that basket.

Warning: Don't try this at home... :-)

hat tip: thereifixedit.com