God’s Imprint on Our Lives Fearfully & Wonderfully Made …we were made for God’s glory, pleasure & purpose “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Psalm 139:13-14 Train up a child in the way he should go [and in keeping with his individual gift or bent], and when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6

Review: The Beaver Organized. Beavers think that there is a right way to do everything and they want to do it exact that way. Beaver personalities are very creative. They desire to solve everything. Desire to take their time and do it right. Beavers do not like sudden changes. They need reassurance.  Strength: High standards, order, respect, task-oriented  Weakness: Unrealistic expectations of self & others, too perfect  Challenge: Seeing the optimistic side of things, expressing flexibility  Cautious, Introvert & Melancholic

Review: Beavers in the Bible  Describe those occasions when Jesus was a “beaver”.  When preaching the Sermon on the Mount  When preparing for the Last Supper  Moses, Boaz  Martha, Joseph, Thomas  Esther  When teaching in the Temple  When in the Garden of Gethsemane  When carrying the cross  At His Ascension  Who are some others “Beavers” in the Bible?

The Golden Retriever Good at making friends. Very loyal. Retriever personalities do not like big changes. They look for security. Can be very sensitive. Very caring. Has deep relationships, but usually only a couple of close friends. Wants to be loved by everyone. Looks for appreciation. Works best in a limited situation with a steady work pattern.  Strength: Accommodating, calm, affirming  Weakness: Indecisive, indifferent, unable to express emotional, too soft on other people  Challenge: Seeing the need to be more assertive, holding others accountable  Amiable, Loyal, Introvert, Phlegmatic

Golden Retrievers: Loyal  Golden Retrievers are “soft” love personalities.  Retrievers have a heartfelt need to know people on a deep, personal level.  Retrievers are committed and but often fall prey to becoming co-dependent, a negative enabler.  Retrievers sacrifice for others, but they may go to such lengths that they become the martyr.  Positive: Retrievers can be soft on people.  Negative: Retrievers can be soft on problems.  Retrievers are very expressive in sharing their feelings.

Retrievers: Need for Close Relationships  Golden Retrievers have a natural strength for building relationships.  Retrievers get frustrated with a Lion’s busyness, a Beaver’s emotional reserve, an Otters outgoing personality.  Retrievers thrive in quiet times with dear friends.  Retrievers make very deep and lasting friendships…BUT they don’t dilute or spread thin their affection. They have a few cherished “best friends” and they invest in those.

Golden Retrievers: Need to Please  Golden Retrievers have a deep need to please others.  Retrievers are peacemakers and avoid conflict…sometimes to the detriment of themselves and others.  Retrievers love to console, support, encourage for the betterment of other’s…but also because a subconscious hunger for mutual treatment.  Retrievers sacrifice for others, but they may go to such lengths that they set aside their own needs and can become the martyr.  Retrievers want others happy and satisfied and will go out of their way to create that environment.

Retrievers: Compassionate  Golden Retrievers have hearts full of compassion.  Golden Retrievers are incredibly sensitive.  Goldens are often selfless givers; charitable.  Golden Retrievers are God’s special counselors. Hurting people seek them out and retrievers respond.  A Golden's compassionate heart that can spot the hurts of others can be easily hurt by others as well.  Golden’s can be emotionally hurt by words & actions that Lions would regard as insignificant.

Golden Retrievers: Adaptable  Golden Retrievers are very adaptable and compliant.  However, Golden Retrievers can take it to the extreme and become unhealthy compromisers and enablers.  Golden Retrievers seek harmony and cooperation.  While Goldens are viewed as very adaptable on the outside, this characteristic may come at a high price on the inside.  Goldens are obedient to a fault in their efforts to please and keep peace.

Retrievers: Change is Challenging without Communication  Golden Retrievers will change and will follow, but they want clear communication; they need to be prepared for change  Goldens have a deep sense of fairness. Consequently, their feelings can be easily hurt when they feel left out of a decision.  But due to their strong sense of loyalty, they will still “fall in step” but can pay a high price emotionally.  Golden Retrievers need extra time to process and prepare for change; be patient with them.  Golden Retrievers ability to love others deeply make then vulnerable to someone who will exploit their “softside” strengths

Golden Retrievers: Stubborn to do the Right Thing  Don’t assume that Golden Retrievers are wimps! “Meek does not mean weak”!  Goldens will follow all day behind a leader they respect. But don’t push them as they won’t budge an inch.  They are softer in attitude and action than Lions, but many of them possess incredible courage and strength.  Golden Retrievers can hold as strongly to what they believe is right as anyone alive.  Golden Retrievers often put their lives on the line to back up their convictions.

Golden Retrievers in the Bible  Describe those occasions when Jesus was a “Golden Retriever”.  Healing the leper, the bind, the bleeding, the dead  Returning to Martha & Mary and raising Lazarus to life  Abraham, Ruth  Mary, John  Barnabas  Talking to the woman at the well  Feeding the 5,000 & the 4,000  Comforting the “good” thief on the cross  Jesus speaks to Peter on the beach  Who are some others “Golden Retrievers” in the Bible?

The Otter Otters are very social creature. Otter personalities love people. They enjoys being popular and influencing and motivating others. Otter can sometimes be hurt when people do not like them. Otter personalities usually have lots of friends, but not deep relationships. They love to goof-off. (They are notorious for messy rooms.) Otters like to hurry and finish jobs. (Jobs are not often done well.) The otter personality is like Tigger in Winnie The Pooh.  Strength: People person, open, positive  Weakness: Talks too much, too permissive  Challenge: Remembering past comments, follow thru with discipline  Expressive, Popular, Extrovert, Sanguine

Otters: Just Want to Have Fun!  Otters are “soft” love personalities.  Otters enjoy being stylishly late; watch”, what’s a watch?  Otters need to think through the consequences of their “fun” behavior; find times to “get serious”.  Positive: Otters can be soft on people.  Negative: Otters can be soft on problems.  If there’s a way to have fun doing something, you can expect an Otter to try it.  Otters are creative, imaginative, spontaneous

Otters: Motivators  Otters are great at motivating others to action.  Otters enjoy talking and can be very convincing and persuasive…but often don’t think through the “next step”.  Otters often have great verbal skills and communicate with enthusiasm; charismatic  Otters are willing to take risks and a classic phrase for them is “trust me”.  Otters are can encourage the faint- hearted.  Otters possess extra energy and drive.

Otters: Avoid the Fine Print  Otters don’t read instructions; they are spontaneous and are ready to act, to do, to move!  Otters often fine innovative ways to do things, and rarely do it “by the book”.  Otters take initiative and don’t get bogged down in the process.  Otters have a natural ability to “wing it” and avoid the “details” and proceed with confidence.  Otters are often visionaries and dreamers, but need Beavers to develop a well thought through plan.

Otters: Focus on the Future  Otters tend to be incredibly optimistic!  Otters tend to express faith more readily; trusting more freely.  This trait springs primarily from their view of time and can keep them “soft”, even in trials. For the average Otter, the future is inseparately linked to the present since by always focusing on the future where things can still “work out”, they tend to stay optimistic.  Otter’s optimism is a natural advantage, but can be a weakness if it gets out of balance since Otters can end up ignoring or explaining away legitimate challenges.

Otters: Avoid Confrontation!  Otters tend to avoid confrontation at all costs!  Otters are prone to avoiding explosive issues or procrastinating on having those hard discussions that aren’t any “fun”.  If you scored high on the Otter scale, expect to struggle at time with confronting others or tackling difficult discussions that demand a “hardside” stance.  But Otters can bring a light and humorous side to an otherwise tense situation.

Otters: Tremendous Networkers  Otters make great employees, church members and helpful friends because of their ability to interact with people, bring people together, and breakdown barriers!  Otters never meet a stranger; outgoing, friendly, enthusiastic!  But Otters have a deep need to be liked by everyone.  Otters know lots of people and enjoy getting people together…to have fun while tackling a task!  Mix in their impulsive, creative tendencies with the love of excitement and adventure and you have a perfect recipe for a personality that’s most vulnerable to peer pressure.

Otters in the Bible  Describe those occasions when Jesus was a “Otter”.  The wedding feast & turning the water into the “best wine”!  Eating with the “tax collectors and sinners”  Samson, Solomon  Peter  The Prodigal Son  The humor and sarcasm in many of His parables  When Jesus welcomed back the 72 disciples  Jesus gathers 12 distinctly different men to be His Apostles  How Jesus enjoyed the “little children”  Who are some others “Otters” in the Bible?

Our Wonderful Zoo!