Expensive to have a pet!

 Recently Swedish politicians have been talking about healthcare for your pets. 

That it is getting too expensive. Many people can’t afford to take their loved ones(pets) to the vet. 

 

I have a dog myself and we have been fortunate to have a very healthy dog, never really have had to take him to the vet. 

Just some vaccine once a year, around 30-40 USD 

 

But now when he is getting old, he got sick and need medicine and some blood tests then oh yes, it cost. 

 

For a blood test and a visit, it cost around 400 USD. 

 

But then we have insurance!  And oh my, how good that is. If not, well that’s another story. On the other hand, a pet insurance like the one we have costs around 50 USD a month. 

 

But even as a dog owner, I do understand that it is not a human right to own a dog or a cat etc. I get that, so what to do? 

 

Sweden has some of the highest taxes in the world - municipal income tax ∼30%, VAT 25% on most goods, plus payroll taxes 32%. That feeds into everything: vet salaries, clinic rent, dog food, toys, insurance. What you pay at the counter already has a big tax chunk built in. PUH 

 

Unlike human healthcare, there’s no universal public system for pets. Vet clinics are private, and many use advanced diagnostics and 24/7 emergency hospitals. 

 

Because vet bills can get huge, ∼90% of Swedish dog owners have insurance. It’s not cheap as I said,  depending on breed, coverage, and deductible. Skipping it is risky, but paying it adds 360-1000 USD to your budget…… 

 

 

Jesus used this exact principle in Luke 14:28: “For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?” 
Dogs are a 10–15 year commitment, you need a budget, on the other hand we don’t have one and when we got the dog, well we did not think about that, but it sure is good to have one. 

 

Proverbs 12:10: “The righteous care for the needs of their animals.” 
If you take a dog in, you’re taking on a creature God made and called “good.” The high Swedish standards actually reflect this - laws against leaving dogs alone >6hrs line up with that verse. The cost is partly because Sweden enforces dignity for animals. 

 

James 1:17: “Every good and perfect gift is from above.” A dog can teach loyalty, joy, responsibility, even unconditional love that points to God. But if the desire for one creates anxiety, debt, or replaces dependence on God, it’s worth pausing. Philippians 4:6: “Do not be anxious about anything.” 

 

Many elderly people, living alone, to have a dog, cat etc is a good company. If you have a dog then you get out and talk to people. But if you have a low pension, like many have sad to say then…. Perhaps politics should look into it anyway…!? 

 

What do you think? 

 

From a Christian view, it’s a stewardship question, not just a money question. God doesn’t command “thou shalt own dogs,” but He does command wisdom, contentment, and care for His creation. 

 

 

A heartwarming lesson for Mexico!

 The World cup in football, the Americans call it soccer, is now going on in Mexico, USA and Canada. 

Makes it hard for us here in Europe to watch some games but that's life.

My wife and I spent two weeks recently in the USA, one week in Houston, attending a christian conference, and one week in LA visiting our son there.

Lovely time and then we could watch some games on TV. We saw USA vs Paraguay on a christian base in LA and that was an experience. Painted faces, popcorn, screaming and jumping. FUN!

But football is not everything of course. I do not support political statements from players or fans. People take advantage of the huge media coverage in order to spread propaganda, but one thing caught my attention and I was so glad and excited about that and that happened in Mexico.

Sweden was playing their first game there against Tunisia and outside the stadium were some Mexican mothers.

A large group of Swedish fans  stopped their traditional pre-game parade to join in a heartfelt embrace with the searching mothers of Nuevo León. This powerful gesture was an instant wake-up call for local authorities.

I saw this on TV but I did not really understand what it was about but later on I saw it on the news. Not the big media places, OH no, sad to say but still on media.

I read this:

When the Swedish fans came upon this moving scene, they made a historic choice: they put down their drums, silenced their trumpets, and approached the group of women with absolute respect. Language barriers? Who cares! The Swedes took their time, studying every face on the banners, listening intently to stories told through gestures and tears. The usual tourist detachment melted away, replaced by a deeply human connection that made it clear: when a mother’s pain cries out for justice, soccer takes a back seat.

Several Swedish fans stepped forward to give long, genuine hugs to the mothers, who broke down in tears. The foreign fans offered words of encouragement in English and raised their fists in solidarity with the messages posted outside the stadium’s ticket booths. This unexpected alliance showed that the wounds of Mexican society did not go unnoticed by visitors who came to give a masterclass in civility.

All this without any media coverage, no cameras etc, just people who care.

My headline says: A heartwarming lesson for Mexico, but the truth is its for all of us!

WOW. This is big, this is what it means to be a human, this is true solidarity and respect, this is what Jesus taught us... AMEN

Instant answer to prayer

 After a week in Houston, spending time for a christian conference, we came to LA.

Our son is doing some extension courses at UCLA. As we already wanted to be in Houston, we decided to visit him in LA.

A friend of ours was living in LA and we thought of visiting her as well and then staying at the YMAM base there, but so suddenly and so sadly she passed away.

Even so, we decided to stay at the base where she used to live and after a 3,5 hour flight, we reached the base, placed our bags in our room, drove a long way back down town to visit our son at his place and then back to the base again.

Time passes by very quickly when you have a good time and we came to the base at midnight and we were so surprised to see that the gate was closed. It could be open with a code but we did not have it. 

We started to shout but no answer. Then I thought of climbing over to see if I could find someone, but I have to admit I don't have the stamina and strength anymore, and even if I did climb, perhaps I could not find someone awake.

I said to my wife that we have to sleep in the car and that was no option for her.

We started to pray for someone to come to our aid, perhaps God could open the gate as in Acts chapter 16, when Paul and Silas are in prison.

We prayed and then after 3-4 minutes a car came from the road behind us, and a man from Africa stepped out . He had visited friends and was now coming back late to the base and he opened the gate for us.

We looked at each other and said: God is good. Hallelujah.