Some say that whenever it snows in Charleston, God is giving a miracle to his most favorite of places. So, I reckon, the blizzard that bleached the entire sky that December must have been a blessing of epic proportions. It was certainly a miracle that I’d forgotten my cell phone after giving my Christmas Eve sermon and had to race back to the sanctuary in order to retrieve it. Otherwise, how would anyone have ever known that right there in our famous nativity scene, a trembling, little Chihuahua had given birth to a litter of puppies? Yes, right there in the manger. O Holy Night for sure!This is a story about how those special pups came to change our church—and all the people in it—for the better. Most especially my poor daughter, Abigail. Being the preacher’s kid is never easy. I know, because I grew up as one, too. But losing your spouse right while expecting to become a parent for the first time? Well, that’s enough to make even the strongest of believers question God’s plans. I know I did. But then our Mama Mary Chihuahua and her Mini Miracles found us… And, well, I’ll let you read the story to find out what happened next!

Some folks are born with a silver spoon jutting right out of their mouths. Others are a bit more like Miss Harmony King. That poor thing bounced in and out of so many foster homes growing up, that even my head spun circles trying to keep track of them all. Once Harmony hit eighteen, though, she disappeared from Charleston altogether. Fast forward nearly a decade, and now she’s back, bent over a pew, and praying like her life depends on it. I’d reckon that just maybe it does. Of course, I don’t know why this young woman left our town, and I don’t know why she’s come back now—but one thing I do know beyond the shadow of a doubt is that God meant for us to find each other again. So I told Harmony the story of the special Chihuahuas born in our church’s nativity scene last Christmas Eve, and that our Muffin, in particular, wanted to help her if she’d let him. Yes, these Little Loves have worked miracles before, and by the grace of the Almighty, I think they might just be about to perform another…

Carolina Brown couldn’t be more different than her mama if she tried—and truthfully most of us believe she worked hard at precisely that. She worked hard at everything else, too, and set off to college to accomplish big things in the wide world. Unfortunately, God called her right back to Charleston when her mama suffered a near fatal accident that left her requiring round the clock care. Now that poor young woman reckons her ambitions have reached a dead end. I say it’s just a sudden turn toward a new destination she can’t quite see yet. If Carolina is ever going to believe in herself enough to reach for happiness a second time, she’s going to need some outside encouragement. It’s been a long time since she’s come round to the church, but that’s not going to stop me from coming round to her. Sometimes you’ve gotta meet people part-way, and sometimes you’ve gotta entrust them with one miracle so they can find the next for themselves. I do believe Cupcake is the perfect Church Dog for the job. Now I’m sure you’re wondering, can one little Chihuahua fix two broken lives? Stick around and see for yourself.