October 25

NT -- 2 Timothy 4:1-22
And so the letters to Timothy end, almost with a sad, wistful note. It almost breaks my heart to read the list of those who have deserted Paul, until, that is, that I remember that *I* desert Paul almost every time I read him. He is a very hard man to read; I can't imagine what he must have been like as a live human being. He comes across as extremely harsh.
But the little note about bringing his scrolls and his cloak!!
I hope he did get them.

Proverbs 26:9-12
"As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly."
Yes, one of the grosser proverbs but it doesn't come without a challenge. Why does a dog eat his own vomit? Howler does. Totally disgusting.
Here is a partial answer from Sarah's Dogs:
"Why do dogs eat vomit? There is actually no definitive answer. Although it was considered that this obnoxious behavior stemmed from the practice of regurgitating food. Dogs in the wild live in packs. They hunt together and assist in feeding and caring for the young. Dogs in the wild would feed on the prey after the kill. When the dogs return to the den they would regurgitate the partially digested food to feed the young. Additionally, eating vomit and feces has something to do with hiding the traces of a dog’s presence from predators. After thousands of years of domestication, these habits still kick in. Domesticated dogs still regurgitate food to feed the puppies. Dogs are less discriminating with what they put in their mouth. No matter how well fed the dog is it would still forage food from the trash can every chance it could get. It is said that humans and canines are about 90% similar in genetics. The 10% would probably account for the difference in our choices of food. The insects, the dead animals, the feces and the vomit that are relished by the dogs are repulsive to humans."

Regardless, Solomon and I both agree -- eating your own vomit is a disgusting, foolish behavior but one that is repeated over and over again. Keep that in mind the next time you reach for that 3rd cookie or 2nd helping of potato chips.