Saturdays with Stella

By Allison K. Pittman

Sometimes your best four-legged friend is also your best teacher

When you bring a new dog into your home, a wash of great joy can become a trial of perseverance as your furry pal chews, digs, yaps, and yes, piddles her way through every room in the house. Allison Pittman learned this all too well when she adopted a “tiny, shiny puppy of indefinable breed(s).” Stella wasted no time in turning her home upside-down as only a pup can.

As could be expected, six weeks of obedience school covered the much needed basics–sit, stay, come, and down. What Allison didn’t expect was the spiritual benefit she would receive as each Saturday lesson revealed a fascinating metaphor. In this heart-warming, thoughtful, and often hilarious tribute to her beloved Stella, Allison Pittman shares how she came to understand what it means to follow the ultimate Master, including how to:

Sit!–at the feet of Jesus and listen for His voice
Drop It!–and let go of personal agendas
Come!–when it’s time to run in the right direction
Stay!–in God’s presence

In Saturdays with Stella, a slightly neurotic yet curiously adorable canine will not only capture your heart–she’ll show you how captivating you are to God.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Aug 19, 2008
• ISBN: 9781601422019

Reviews for Saturdays with Stella

[judyg54 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

If you like dogs, then you will fall in love with this author's dog, Stella. I really enjoyed reading about Stella and how she learned to sit, drop it, leave it, take it, let go, come, wait, and many other commands. It was very humerous but loving. There were also lessons along the way that we can relate to when it comes to our obedience to God. I hope to practice some of what I learned on our dog (we will see if you really can teach an old dog new "tricks"!) Stella is a dog I know I would love if we were ever to meet. A job well done Allison Pittman (and Stella).

[jpogue_6 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

“Saturdays with Stella” is a delightful little collection of essays in which Allison Pittman shares her experiences with her neurotic pet, Stella, as they both attend weekend dog obedience training. In this humorous, and surprisingly tender, book this harried pet owner is able to pull profound analogies from her quirky relationship with Stella, the orphaned pet she adopts. One quickly learns that Pittman and Stella’s Saturday morning sessions teach the author as much about her relationship with God as they help in controlling Stella’s “intrinsic cowardice”, uncontrollable “piddling”, and problematic behavior issues.Pittman masterfully infuses her hilarious escapades with Stella with a spiritual view that rings full of truth. And she does so without trivializing Scripture’s message. I couldn’t wait to read about the next week’s adventures with Ramon, the teacher, and all their fellow canine friends: Prima and Donna, the high-strung Yorkies; Blanca, the hyper three-month old lab; Bitsy, the dejected dachshund with a broken tail; and Rex, the Australian Shepherd, too cool to acknowledge his classmates.I was hooked after reading about Ramon’s first lesson with his rag-tag class: “Settle!” Pittman honestly shares her own reluctance to sit quietly with the Lord, just as Stella is too restless, skittish and scared to lie near her loving master. I felt Pittman’s own revelation as she realized that God simply desires us to trust Him enough to rest in Him. And I identified with Stella’s propensity to run… leaving all that is good and safe and heading alone into the unknown. As Pittman describes the patience required of her in working with wayward Stella to “Come!”, I was reminded of God’s ever-patient longing for me to return to Him from my sin. Using Hosea 14:4 as a springboard, Pittman writes, “I saw myself standing next to my pile of sin, shifting on my spiritual feet, waiting for the final verdict. But when I finally turned around and ran home, I discovered something wonderful. God’s forgiveness was already there, waiting for me to take it.”Pittman’s prose in “Saturdays with Stella” is perfect for any dog lover. It will also strike a chord with those who are confused, hurting and trying to understand God’s will in their lives. Stella’s “issues” poignantly echo our own struggles in our relationships with God, and I was grateful to Pittman for the fresh perspective on the chasm that often exists between us and our loving Master.