Honesty

October 9, 2024

You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. (Exodus 20:13d)

Sally was watching Grandma clean the china cupboard. There were so many beautiful, old dishes! She loved listening to Grandma's stories about where she got each piece and who used to own them.

When the cleaning and organizing were completed, Grandma said, "Let's go take a walk and enjoy the pleasant weather." Sally scampered out the door and happily skipped along beside Grandma. She loved looking for any pretty things they might find along the way!

She quickly discovered a pretty little, yellow butterfly sipping nectar from some tiny, white flowers that looked like miniature daisies. As they paused to look closely, they could hear the bees buzzing from flower to flower. Sally ran on ahead and soon spotted some beautiful, blue flowers that made her exclaim with delight! "Oh Grandma, come see how pretty!" Grandma caught up with Sally to see what she had found. "Yes" she said, "Those certainly have a lovely color. Those are called Morning Glories." They moved on up the lane toward the hay shed. Along the way they saw the seed heads on the tall grass that were maturing in the autumn weather. As they reached the shed, something in the dirt caught Sally's eye.

She started scampering about, picking up interesting little bits from the dirt. "Grandma", she cried, "what are these?" "Those are broken pieces of old dishes and crockery." said Grandma. "I would guess that there was some sort of trash pit here before this hay shed was built. Little bits and pieces gradually made their way to the surface and now you found them. See those dark brown pieces? They look similar to that old pie pan I just washed this morning. Look here, if you hold this piece of glass to the light, it has a pale lavender color. It could have been a very pretty glass bowl. Every one of these little pieces was part of something that got broken due to carelessness or some other accident." Grandma let Sally play for a while, then they headed back to the house. Grandma suggested that they could sit on the deck for a while and enjoy the sunshine. After Sally made herself comfortable, Grandma said, "Do you remember a while back when two of your friends wouldn't talk to each other?" Sally nodded. "Jane was playing with Marie's toy horse. Then she took it home with her and wouldn't give it back. When Marie asked for it, Jane acted like she didn't know anything about it. Marie knew that Jane had it, but she couldn't prove anything. I don't blame her for being upset. I think it was one of her favorite horses." "Yes" said Grandma. "Of course, she had good reason to be unhappy. Jane thought she could hold on to something she wanted, but lost her friendship with Marie in the process. You know, a couple things we saw this morning are excellent examples of an important principle that you should always remember. Lying can be just as devastating to a friendship as whatever happened to those pretty dishes that you found pieces of while we were taking our walk. Now they can't be put back together. Those beautiful, blue flowers that made you so excited grow on vines that can cause serious issues when Grandpa is harvesting his crops. They will rip some of the grain off and make it fall onto the ground instead of going into the bin where it belongs. For that reason, the flowers don't look so pretty to a farmer. Instead, they look like a sign of a problem that makes him lose important grain because his combine can't work right. Lying causes others to stop trusting the person who lied to them, so it's very important to always be honest. You already know that telling lies is bad, but you also need to understand that being quiet when you should tell the truth is another way to be dishonest. Think about how you would feel if I promised you something and then never did what I had promised. Friendships and family relationships can, and often have, been deeply damaged by dishonesty. Another thing to remember is that the Most High hates dishonesty. He can see right inside your heart and mind. He knows the truth even if you manage to hide it from all others." Sally nodded soberly. She did want to be acceptable to Grandma and the Most High!

Harvest

September 22, 2024

So long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day, and night shall not cease. (Genesis 8:22 JPS)

It is time for harvest here on the farm! It doesn't seem long at all since Grandpa was working the ground and planting the seeds.

We watched the seeds grow until there were beautiful, green corn plants reaching up toward the sun!

Now the corn plants are dry and brown. The leaves have finished their job of collecting energy from the sun. The roots did their job of supplying the plant with water and nutrients from the soil. Each little kernel of corn grew on the cob until it was plump and full. Now the kernels are dry and hard. It's time to harvest!

The combine is doing it's job! It cuts each cornstalk, pops each ear of corn out of the dry husks, and removes all the little kernels of corn from each ear. Then the corn is dumped into the grain cart so it can be hauled to the grain bin or elevator for storage.

Sometimes when the corn is being dumped into the grain cart, a little of it falls onto the ground. While Grandpa doesn't want to lose any of the corn, it still doesn't go to waste. The birds can stop by and have lunch when the big, noisy equipment is gone.

Here is a wonderful promise for each one who obeys the Most High. "And in that day, the LORD will beat out (the peoples like grain) from the channel of the Euphrates to the Wadi of Egypt; and you shall be picked up one by one, O children of Israel!" (Isaiah 27:12 JPS) You see, this is the Most High's assurance that not one of His obedient children will ever be forgotten! While a farmer might miss some grain, God knows where to find each and every one of us!

There is also a harvest from the garden at this time of the year. Squash, turnips, and even a big pumpkin are the results of sunshine, rain, and all of the work done throughout the growing season.

The wild sunflowers and goldenrod are producing their beautiful flowers and maturing the seeds to grow more next year. The Most High has created something for every one of His creatures to eat and has also given us beautiful things to look at! What a wonderful God we serve!

Honor Your Parents

July 17, 2024

Honor your father and your mother, that you may long endure on the land that the LORD your God is assigning to you. (Exodus 20:12 JPS)

Coco was sure glad that the bus was almost to his house! What he had been hearing at school today had him pretty shook up inside. Confused thoughts were swirling in his mind and he really, really needed to talk to Grandpa about it. He felt the bus slow down and heard the squeaky brakes as they approached his driveway. He picked up his backpack, jumped off the bus, waved goodbye to the driver, and started toward the house. A sound made him look toward the shed. There was Grandpa, on top of a tractor, working on something on the roof! Oh, that's right, the storm a few nights ago had damaged the metal up there and Grandpa had been trying to figure out how to get it fixed.

"Grandpa, Grandpa!" He called, as he ran toward the shed, "I really, really need to talk to you!" Grandpa looked down, surprised at Coco's outburst. "Hold on, Coco" he said, "Could you, please hand me another box of screws? I'll be finished with this in about 15 minutes. We can talk while I feed the orphan calf." Coco swallowed his impatience and climbed up on the tractor steps to hand the screws to Grandpa. Soon Grandpa did have the repair finished. He climbed down and put his hand on Coco's shoulder. "Okay, Coco" he said, "Let's go get a bottle of milk for that hungry calf. Then we'll talk while we are feeding him."

As Grandpa slipped the bottle into the calf's mouth, Coco told Grandpa about his concerns and confusion. There were a couple of kids at school whose father had recently gone to jail for stealing things from the neighbors. Everybody knew that their mother got drunk sometimes and was mean to the kids. This morning one of the children had come to school with bruises on her face and had admitted to a friend that it was because her mother had hit her. She was very embarrassed about it, but she couldn't hide all the bruises. Everybody was talking about it and there were all kinds of rumors. Coco didn't know which rumors were true, but it was a very sad and disturbing situation. This was his big question for Grandpa. How in the world could kids, who were abused and neglected, honor their parents? Grandpa thought a bit before he answered. "Well, you see Coco, honoring your parents doesn't always mean approving of the things that they do. It also doesn't necessarily always mean obeying them. That's a little hard to explain, but imagine that the father had asked his son to help steal from the neighbors. It's obvious that he shouldn't do that. Right?" Coco nodded, and Grandpa continued, "The children should still obey their parents' orders to clean their room, eat their vegetables, get ready for school on time, things like that... the list can go on and on. I think you understand what I mean. What every person should always try to do is live a life that is honorable. When a child does something bad, it makes their parents look bad. People will assume that the children were not taught correctly. When children are well behaved, that is honorable for the whole family. Do you understand what I am trying to tell you?" "I think I understand that." Coco said. "But Grandpa, what I don't understand is why she would want to hurt her own kids. I know she got drunk, but why?" "I get punished when I disobey, but I know that you would never enjoy hurting me on purpose." "That's true" Grandpa replied. "Some things are very hard to understand. What you need to do is to concentrate on doing the right thing. If possible, you can try to be a friend to those children. But there is an important principle that you will always need to remember. Hold tightly to the truth. Refuse to take part in any naughty things that anyone else might invite you to do. It's better to lose a friend than to do something wrong to keep one." Coco nodded. He had a lot to think about, but he knew he could always ask Grandpa more questions later if he thought of something else. The calf had finished it's bottle while they were talking. Coco offered to get some hay for the calf while Grandpa went to get a scoop of feed. He picked up the pitchfork as Grandpa walked over to the feed room. Confidently, he jabbed it into the hay and tried to pick up a big bunch of it, just the way he had seen Grandpa do so many times before. For some reason, he just couldn't get the hay to pull loose. He stabbed again and again, trying to prove how big and capable he was. When Grandpa came back from the feed room, Coco was lying on the hay in discouragement.

Coco was feeling very ashamed of himself, but Grandpa just smiled at him. "Don't feel bad Coco. I knew it was probably still too heavy for you, but I'm proud of you for trying so hard!" "This is a good lesson about letting adults "carry the heavy things", like why some adults are mean to children. I can't say that I totally understand it either, but that's not a load that you need to carry. For now, just leave those kind of things for me to "carry". Once again, Coco nodded and smiled at Grandpa. It sure was good to have someone who loved him so much!

He Has Heard Your Grumbling

(Quote from Exodus 16:9 JPS)

July 10, 2024

Sally was so excited that she could hardly eat her breakfast that morning! Her cousin, Joy was already there and they were watching for Auntie Kay to arrive at any moment! Auntie Kay was going to be helping Grandma pick and can green beans from the garden. That was exciting enough, but the most exciting thing to the girls was that their slightly younger cousin, Melody Grace, was also going to be there this time! They hadn't seen her for a while and they had all kinds of plans for the day. As they managed to finish their cereal, they heard a car pull into the driveway. They ran to the window as Grandma finished wiping the table and set out the buckets by the back door. The girls saw Auntie Kay helping Melody Grace out of the car. Both of them raced to the front door and opened it to let them in. They barely took time to greet Auntie Kay before running to the living room, along with their little cousin, to find their toys.

All morning the three little girls played together happily. Occasionally Grandma or Auntie Kay would bring in a full bucket of beans and stick their head into the room to make sure everything was going okay. It was late morning when they brought in the last bucketful and quickly snapped enough beans to cook for lunch. As the beans were cooking, they made a pile of sandwiches and then called the girls to the table for lunch. The girls were certainly hungry by then! They gobbled down their sandwiches and the fresh green beans.

Grandma and Auntie Kay didn't eat as quickly as the cousins. Because the girls were getting restless, they were given permission to leave the table until time for dessert. After a while Grandma called them back to the table. Once again, Sally and Joy were all excited. Auntie Kay had brought the dessert. It was one of their favorites - No-Bake Cookies! The girls climbed back up onto their chairs and dug in happily.

Each girl was given two cookies! As soon as they had finished gobbling down the wonderful deliciousness, Melody Grace started whining for another one. When Auntie Kay told her that she had already had more than a little girl like her really needed, Melody Grace started kicking and screaming. Sally and Joy were shocked! They would have liked more cookies too, but they certainly knew better than to throw a tantrum about it! Without another word, Auntie Kay scooped up her crying child and headed to the bedroom. Sally and Joy looked at each other with their eyes wide! Now what?

Grandma had just finished putting away the leftovers. She motioned for the girls to follow her to the living room. She sat down in her chair and reached for the TANAKH that was lying nearby. The girls sat on the floor at her feet and listened as she read the 16th chapter of Exodus to them. This is the account of God giving the children of Israel food to eat while they were in the wilderness. (Your parent can read it to you from your own Bible.) Grandma made sure that the girls noticed each time that the people complained or refused to obey God. He sent them manna every morning. (Manna is a Hebrew word that means "What is it?") He also gave them quail every evening. God had given His people exactly what they needed. Each day, when they gathered the manna, they always had exactly the right amount for each person in their family. God told them not to save any of it for the next day, but some of the people disobeyed and saved it overnight anyway. Then it started stinking and got worms in it. Ugh! How nasty! On the sixth day of the week (preparation day) the amount that they gathered was twice as much as the other days of the week. God told them that the extra manna was to be used to prepare for the Sabbath. This was His way of making sure that they had enough to eat on Sabbath without going out and working that day. On this day only would the manna keep overnight without spoiling. It made God very upset when they grumbled and kept disobeying. In verse 28 He asked, "How long will you men refuse to obey My commandments and My teachings?" We should always obey without grumbling. God has shown us all so clearly that He will always take care of those who obey Him. How tragic it is when people will not believe and obey God.

As Grandma finished talking to the girls, Auntie Kay walked into the living room and told them that Melody Grace was taking a nap. She had heard what Grandma was teaching Sally and Joy. She said she would share the same lesson with her daughter after they got home. Grandma got up, patted each girl on the head, and said it was time for the women to get back to their green beans. The girls promised to play quietly until their cousin woke up. They were going to have a lot more fun this afternoon!

TANAKH

June 16, 2024

You shall not add anything to what I command you or take anything away from it, but keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I enjoin upon you. (Deuteronomy 4:2 JPS)

Hello Children! I'm glad you are here. Up to this point we have had several interesting stories, but today we are going to do something a bit different. It's time that for you to learn about God's Holy Word. It is called the TANAKH. When written in Hebrew, that name is actually made from the first letters of three Hebrew words: Torah, Nevi'im, and Kethuvim. You can see it written in Hebrew in the picture at the top of this lesson. Unlike English, Hebrew reads from right to left, so the first letter is the one that looks like a table with a toe sticking out. It is called Tav, and it stands for Torah. Torah is the name of the first section of the TANAKH. It is made up of the books that were written by Moses. They contain the Law of the Most High. The middle letter is a Nun. It stands for the word Nevi'im, which means, the Prophets. The final letter is a Kaf. (I think that it looks kind of like a cane.) Kaf stands for the word Kethuvim, which means, the Writings. In the pictures below you can read the names of all the books in their correct order.

Christians have made up their own Bible. In the book that they wrote, they changed the name of the TANAKH to the "Old Testament", which is actually an blasphemous insult to the Holy Word of God. The TANAKH is not old! It is just as valid and important today as it ever was. Not only have they renamed it and changed the order of the books, but they have actually changed some of the things that it says. Then they added their own writings to the end of it and called that part the "New Testament". This was their way of trying to make God's Law seem old and unimportant. They have taught people to worship someone or something other than the Most High God. As you can see, in the verse at the very top of this lesson, God orders us to keep His commandments. He clearly tells us that we must never add to or take away from His Holy Word. As your "Grandma", I am strongly urging you to always obey the Most High. He does not lie! He does not change! That is how we know that what He said at the beginning will always be the truth.

Commandments

June 23, 2024

In the previous lesson, about TANAKH, I urged you to obey the Law of the Most High. Now we are going to study what some of those laws are. The pictures above were taken in the 20th chapter of Exodus, where the Most High gave His Law to His people. Please follow along as we discuss each law that is listed here. 1 The first one is written in verses 1-3. God says, "You shall have no other gods besides Me." Many of you are very aware of the god that the Christians worship, named Jesus. There are other gods that are worshipped in the world today. God has always been very angry with anyone who chooses to serve any god besides Him. Please read the passage pictured below. (2 Kings 17:24-41)

2 The second commandment is written in verses 4-6. It is a strict warning to never make any image to worship. An image could be a statue, a picture, or any other way of showing the form of something... sun, moon, stars, animals, birds, people... the list could go on and on. We are to worship only the Most High. 3 The third commandment is written in verse 7. We are commanded to never swear falsely in God's Name. That refers to teaching lies and claiming that those lies come from the Most High. 4 The fourth commandment is given in verses 8-11. There we are commanded to keep the Sabbath on the seventh day of the week. The seventh day is Saturday. Keeping the Sabbath means not working on that day. This is a commandment for everyone, not just the Jews as some people want to claim. Read verse 10 again to see clearly that this is true. 5-10 The last six commandments are fairly easy to understand. Honor your parents. Don't murder. Don't commit adultery. Don't steal. Don't lie. Don't covet.

God Won't Forget

June 13, 2024

Can a woman forget her baby, or disown the child of her womb? Though she might forget, I never could forget you. (Isaiah 49:15 JPS)

Sally was cuddled into Grandma's arms, drinking her juice while Grandma had her morning coffee. "Grandma" she said, "I love you so much!" "I love you, too, Sally!" said Grandma, giving her a kiss and a little squeeze. "No matter what happens, you can always come to me. I know that there are scary things in the world, but I hope that you will always see this as a safe place to be. I also hope that you can understand what a good example this is of how much the Most High loves those who obey His commands. You will learn more as you grow, but you can determine right now to always be obedient."

It's Okay, God is With You

June 6, 2024

The Lord is my light and my help; whom should I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life, whom should I dread? (Psalm 27:1-2 JPS)

Coco was feeling quite uneasy on the bus today. It had not been more than a couple weeks since his "issue" with Ben, the class bully. Today Ben had not gotten on the bus for some reason, but his big brother was certainly there. (Coco didn't know his name, he just called him Big Bully.) He was sitting right behind Coco, staring at him over the back of the seat. Every once in a while, when the bus driver wasn't looking, the big guy would give Coco a poke on the back of his head or kick the back of the seat just to remind Coco that he was there. They arrived at school and the bus pulled up to the drop-off spot. Coco wasn't sure whether to just stay in his seat or make a run for it. He felt sure that Big Bully was going to try to do something to him. He sat there for a bit, but it became obvious that the big guy wasn't moving either so he got up and started down the aisle.

Immediately, Coco could feel hot breath and the tips of two horns on his back. He could hear the big guy muttering threats under his breath. The bus driver wasn't looking and Coco didn't know what to do next! He was scared to get off the bus, but what else could he do? As they reached the front of the bus, the Big Bully stepped back just enough so driver didn't notice anything. Coco hesitated a moment, but he just couldn't bring himself to be a tattletale. After all, what could he prove? He stepped off the bus and hurried as fast as he could toward the school door. Surely nothing bad could happen once he made it inside. He heard a rush of hooves behind him. Just as he was sure that he would be rolling in the gravel the very next second, Mr. Cohen (the principal) stepped out of the school right between him and the bully. He heard a thump and a scuffle and turned around just in time to see both of them picking themselves up. The bell would soon be ringing, so Coco quickly put his stuff in his locker and then hurried to his home room. He heard nothing more about the incident the rest of the day, so he assumed that no adult had witnessed what had nearly happened to him. He was thankful that the Big Bully had football practice after school, so he wasn't on the bus on the ride home.

The bus stopped in front of Grandpa's house. With a feeling of relief, Coco jumped to the ground and scurried into the house. Grandpa was sitting in the living room reading his Bible. He looked up and, seeing the expression on Coco's face, held out his arms without a word. Coco climbed onto his lap and snuggled into the comforting arms of the one who deeply loved him. In a flood of words, he poured out his heart. All of the terrified feelings came tumbling out. The words didn't always make perfect sense, but Grandpa seemed to understand. When Coco had calmed down a bit, Grandpa picked up his Bible and opened it to Psalm 27. He started reading in verse 19. "See how numerous my enemies are, and how unjustly they hate me! Protect me and save me; let me not be disappointed, for I have sought refuge in You." "You see, Coco," he said, "Ben's family knows that we follow the Most High's way as closely as we can. They don't want to obey His law and seeing us do so makes them feel very guilty. Even though Ben and his big brother don't really understand the truth, they have picked up on the hatred that the guilty feelings produce. I'm sorry that you got so scared. You did have good reason to feel threatened, but you need to understand that even if you get hurt (and God's people do get hurt sometimes) in the end God will make all things right and just. There is a time coming when the world will be filled with righteousness. Righteousness is doing exactly what the Most High commands us to do. Coco, I know that you do want to do right. As long as you stay true to the ways of the Most High, you will someday live in that righteous world where you will no longer be threatened by evil because God has promised to wipe it out." Just then Coco heard Grandma's voice calling, "Supper time!" "Okay" Grandpa said, "Let's go see what delicious meal she has ready for us this time!"

Sharing is Caring

May 21, 2024

The generous man is blessed, for he gives of his bread to the poor. (Proverbs 22:9 JPS)

Sally was playing with her cousin, Joy, at Grandma's house. There were a lot of toys, and Sally had been playing with the plastic flowers and the alligator. She made the alligator hide in Coco's hat, and then it would jump out and try to eat the flowers. Joy had been watching for a little while and laughing, but pretty soon she got bored and picked up the pelican and started playing with it instead.

Sally paused in her play and glanced at what Joy was holding. It suddenly occurred to her that she could also make the pelican part of the make-believe that she was creating. "Hey!" she said. "Give me that." "No!" said Joy, "I'm playing with this one! I can do my own make-believe. Just leave me alone!"

Sally couldn't believe that Joy would act that way! Didn't she know that Sally was the Boss? She jumped at Joy and grabbed for the Pelican. She knocked Joy over in the process but she didn't care. Joy should have enough sense to know that she had to listen to Sally!

Sally felt rather pleased with herself, until she realized that Joy was crying. Joy had always thought that Sally was just about the most wonderful person in the world. Sally was only a couple months older than Joy, and they had always been best of friends at any family gathering. Grandma heard Joy crying and came into the room quickly to see what had happened. "Grandma," Joy sobbed "Sally pushed me over and I bumped my head really hard! She took my pelican away, too." Sally tried to defend herself. "I needed it for my make-believe and she wouldn't give it to me when I told her to." Grandma looked at Sally very sternly. "That was not kind at all, Sally." she said. "You are not the boss." She picked up Joy and held her close to help her stop crying. "It says in God's Word that a generous man is blessed." she told them. "Generous means that you are not at all selfish. It means that you should be willing to share with others. A generous person would never just grab something that another person has. You both should be willing to share with each other, but sharing is not something that you can force on someone else." Now it was Sally's turn to feel bad. A few tears of her own squeezed out of her eyes as Joy wiggled back out of Grandma's arms. The two little girls gave each other a hug as they promised to try not to hurt each other again. "Now," said Grandma, "crawl up here on the couch with me and we'll read a couple books." Each girl chose a favorite book and joined Grandma. They truly did want to always do their best to please the Most High.

How precious is Your faithful care, O God! Mankind shelters in the shadow of Your wings. (Psalm 36:8 JPS)

Under His Wings

April 12, 2024

It was springtime on the farm! Coco and Sally were having a great time in the yard blowing dandelion fluff.

Grandma's favorite flower, the little wild violet, was starting to bloom. The spinach was growing, but not yet quite big enough to pick. Sally had also been watching the irises closely. Several of the plants had buds on them, but none had opened just yet. Oh, what an exciting time of year Spring was!

Grandpa was tilling the garden. He would soon be planting sweet corn. Sally and Coco heard the tractor slow down. Grandpa was calling to them to come cautiously. He was pointing at something small in the dirt. It was a mama Killdeer! She was huddled down in the little nest she had made on the ground. The tractor had come very near to her but she would not move. She was protecting the eggs she had laid there!

Sally and Coco kept edging closer until Grandpa motioned them back so they wouldn't scare the little bird too much. The children stood and watched until he was done tilling. After he put the tractor back in the shed, he came over to talk to them. "Isn't that special?" He said. "The mama Killdeer is doing her best to protect her eggs until they hatch. That reminds us of the Most High's love for those who obey Him. His Word, the Torah is our guide for how we should live our lives. Always obey Him. That is how we all can stay under the protection of His wings."

Update from Sally April 17, 2024... The first irises have bloomed!

Of Course, You're Different

March 20, 2024

And God created man in His image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. (Genesis 1:27 JPS)

The LORD God said, "It is not good for man to be alone; I will make a fitting helper for him." (Gen. 2:18 JPS)

Sally came stomping into the kitchen where Grandma was kneading bread. "Grandma," she whined, "Make Coco play house with me. All he wants to do is play with that old tractor, and he won't do what I want!" Grandma looked down at the fussy little girl. "Now Sally," she said, "Coco doesn't always have to do things your way. Why don't you just come out here and help me make bread?" Help Grandma with a "big person thing" like making bread? Now that sounded fun! Sally's frown turned upside down! "Oh yes, let me help!" she exclaimed as she pushed a stool over to the counter where Grandma was working. Grandma gave Sally a small lump of the bread dough and showed her how to knead it. This was fun! As they worked together, Grandma continued to talk to Sally. "You know Sally, God made each one of us different. You like to play with dolls and kitchen toys. You enjoy smelling flowers and hearing the birds sing. Coco is older than you are, and he's a boy. That makes him like different things. He loves the tractors, and running and tumbling with the dog. Both of those things still kind of scare you, but that's okay. You are still a little girl. You aren't able to do all the work that I do, but you are learning, bit by bit, to do woman things. Coco can do a few things to help Grandpa, but he isn't old enough to work the fields, yet. That's the way God means for it to be. Each person has their own place. Each one of us must learn and grow, a bit at a time. God made you a girl. You will grow into a woman. Be happy to be just what God made you to be.

Don't Add or Subtract

March 17, 2024

Be careful to observe only that which I enjoin upon you: neither add to it nor take away from it. (Deut. 13:1 JPS)

Follow none but the LORD your God, and revere none but Him; observe His commandments alone, and heed only His orders; worship none but Him, and hold fast to Him. (Deut. 13:5 JPS)

"I want to be a farmer, just like Grandpa!" Coco looked down at the picture that he was holding. He was so glad that Grandma had taken it for him! This was the day for "Show and Tell". His teacher had instructed each student to be prepared to tell about something that they had learned recently. Coco was excited. He was sure everyone would enjoy his account of what he had recently learned about obedience and being clean. (See previous lesson, Be Clean) He was the first one to raise his hand when the teacher asked for volunteers. He enthusiastically told his story. While it was a bit embarrassing to admit how wrong his attitude had been, it felt good to share the important lesson with his classmates.

When recess time came, his teacher reminded him that it was his turn to empty the trash. The rest of the class headed outside while he quickly did his task and then followed them out. As he opened the outside door, he heard someone say his name from just around the corner. He paused, his hand still on the door. It was Ben, the class bully, who was talking. "That Coco is such a dummy! Who would let their Grandpa catch them? I'll bet he just made up that story to impress the teacher. I never would have got caught! I'm much too smart for that!" Coco heard some of the other boys laughing. Suddenly, he felt the door being pushed away from his hand. Startled, he looked up. It was Mr. Cohen, the principal. For a moment, Coco thought he was in trouble for holding the door open. Then he realized that Mr. Cohen was looking right past him. He must have been following right behind Coco. He also had heard exactly what Ben was saying. Without a word the principal walked around the corner and dropped his hand onto the shoulder of a very startled Ben. He motioned for Coco to come along and all three of them headed straight to the office. Mr. Cohen sent Ben into his office and told him to wait there. Then he turned to Coco and asked him what it was all about. Coco told Mr. Cohen about the lesson he had learned and about sharing it at "Show and Tell". Mr. Cohen nodded his head understandingly. He thanked Coco for being honest and told him that he could go on out to recess. He also said that he would call Grandpa and let him know what had happened. When Coco got home that afternoon, Grandma handed him a peanut butter sandwich and a glass of milk. She smiled and told him that she was proud of him for doing the right thing. She assured him that Grandpa would also talk to him about it after supper. That evening Grandpa said, "Coco, think about how you felt today when someone made fun of you and cast doubt on your story. Now you can understand how the Most High must feel when any religion makes up its own story and claims that it is God's truth. There are many who claim (even though God has told us clearly that He will never change or lie) that He gave mankind a totally new system as the way to be righteous. Coco, never, ever be enticed (led) away from the Truth by any so-called prophet, leader, preacher, etc. who says that you don't need to obey the Torah. It is God's Most Holy Word and it is what determines your soul's destiny." Coco nodded and smiled back at Grandpa. He was so thankful to be loved so deeply by one who would always tell him the truth. Once again said to himself, "I want to be just like Grandpa!"

Be Clean

March 11, 2024

You shall faithfully observe all My laws and all My regulations, lest the land to which I bring you to settle in spew you out. You shall not follow the practices of the nation that I am driving out before you. For it is because they did all these things that I abhorred them and said to you: You shall possess their land, for I will give it to you to possess, a land flowing with milk and honey. I the LORD am your God who has set you apart from other peoples. So you shall set apart the clean beast from the unclean, the unclean bird from the clean. You shall not draw abomination upon yourselves through beast or bird or anything with which the ground is alive, which I have set apart for you to treat as unclean. You shall be holy to Me, for I the LORD am holy, and I have set you apart from other peoples to be Mine. (Lev. 20:22-26 JPS)

"Grandpa is a farmer and that is exactly what I want to be!" Coco certainly considered himself to be "a big boy" now. After all, he finally had two numbers in his age. (Sally was "just a baby".) Coco knew that Grandpa had a big day planned. He was determined to get out there today and show Grandpa how big he really was! He had his shoes on and was waiting by the door when Grandpa got there. What a disappointment it was when Grandpa looked at him and said, "No, Coco, not today. I'm going to be scooping manure and spreading it on the fields. The cow lot is too dirty for a little boy and it would be far too dangerous for you to be near the equipment that I'll be using." Coco looked at Grandpa in stunned disbelief. Grandpa had just called him little! How could he be so blind? Coco felt his anger rising, but he saw that Grandpa wasn't joking and if he had learned one thing, it was that you definitely would not get away with arguing with Grandpa. His mind came back to the realization that Grandpa was still talking. "You can play outside in the yard and watch me through the fence. I'm sure Grandma and Sally will be doing some interesting things. Maybe you can help them. I'll be back to the house at lunchtime. Have fun." And, just like that, Grandpa was gone. Fun things? With Grandma and Sally? It didn't matter that it had been fun a few weeks ago. He was a "big boy" now. Slowly, Coco looked around. Grandma was still cleaning Sally's face and wasn't paying any attention to him, so he headed out the door. He could hear the skid steer starting out in the shed, and soon he saw it drive into the cow lot. Then he watched as Grandpa walked back to the shed and got the tractor and manure spreader. He stood by the fence and watched as, scoop by scoop, the spreader got fuller and fuller.

Coco saw Grandpa get on the tractor and drive out the gate to the field. He watched a little longer as the tractor and manure spreader started moving back and forth across the field. He knew Grandpa planned to plant corn there this year. In his mind, he could see the tiny plants pushing their points up through the soil, and in a few more days opening their little leaves to the sun. He thought of the delicious cornbread that Grandma made. His favorite way to eat it was crumbled in a bowl with warm milk. He was glad that Grandpa liked it that way, too. That certainly proved that it wasn't just a "little kid" way to eat it! The tractor disappeared over a hill in the field and Coco turned from the fence and wandered across the yard. He stopped and played in the sand pile for a while, until he thought that might be a "little boy" thing to be doing. He heard the tractor pulling back into the cow lot for the second load. It was a bit surprising to him how quickly the time was passing after all. He watched until the spreader was full again and then went in the house for a few minutes to get a drink. As he came back out, he could hear the tractor way at the back of the field. Anger started to rise inside him again. It just wasn't right to be treated like such a little boy. He stomped his foot and headed over to the fence. First glancing at the house to make sure Grandma wasn't looking, he quickly climbed up and over the fence. He'd show them! They didn't have any right to treat him like a baby! He scampered across the cow lot, examining the freshly scraped area and kicking at some of the smelly manure that was still there waiting for the next load. Suddenly, he became aware that the sound of the tractor was getting closer. He dashed to the fence and tumbled over it just as the tractor appeared over the top of the hill. Whew! Just in time! He plopped on the grass and sat there with his heart pounding. He felt a sense of relief until he looked down.

Now what was he going to do? His shoes and his pants were filthy! This wasn't something that would just brush off in the yard! Grandma and Grandpa were sure to notice! Maybe he could slip into the mud room and clean up before lunch. He opened the back door as quietly as possible. He could hear Grandma working in the kitchen and the skid steer start up out in the cow lot. Good! Maybe he could pull this off after all! Moving carefully, he slipped off his dirty shoes and pants. He got a wet rag and went to work on his face and hands. He thought he was making pretty good progress until he looked around. Oh my, what a mess! It utter discouragement, he plopped against the wall just as Grandma came through the door.

"Coco! What happened?" Grandma exclaimed. "You get in the bathroom right this minute and get a bath. Your grandpa will be in for lunch as soon as he gets this load emptied on the field. We'll get to the bottom of this once he has eaten." That wasn't a very pleasant lunchtime for Coco. Nothing was said while they ate, but he was pretty sure that he knew what was coming. Once the kitchen was straightened up and they were all sitting in the living room, it was time for a reckoning. All the defiance that Coco had felt, when he was by himself, melted away. "Coco" Grandpa said, "You understood clearly that you were to stay out of the cow lot. You got very dirty, but that wasn't the worst part of it. You defiantly disobeyed me. In Isaiah 52:1 the Most High God says that never again shall uncircumcised and unclean ones enter Jerusalem. We want to enter Jerusalem. We are children of the Most High God. He has His laws that we must obey. When we rebel against His law we are rebelling against Him. That makes us unclean, whether it's in eating unclean foods, breaking the Sabbath, or refusing to obey authority as you did this morning. When we become unclean through disobedience, we are required to do what it takes to make things right again. (Ezekiel 33:10-20) This is how we can become clean in God's eyes. I was going to take you along to help me with my next task this afternoon. But, since you disobeyed me, you will stay in the house and thoroughly clean the mud room for your Grandma." Coco had tears running down his face. It hurt, but he knew that Grandpa was right. He did want to be accepted by the Most High. He nodded his head and started toward the mud room to get busy right away. It would feel wonderful to be clean again.

You Can Do It

March 3, 2024

Sally was having so much fun with all the toys! (Grandpa's old toy tractor, pretend kitchen items, stuffed animals, story books, the list went on and on.) As she played with each new thing she would just leave the last one lay where it was and move on to whatever caught her attention next. Before she realized it the afternoon was nearly gone and Grandma was telling her, "Okay, Sally, get the toys picked up and then I will read you a story."

For this commandment that I command you today is not too hard for you, neither is it far off... But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it. (Deut. 30:11,14 ESV)

Sally looked around her. There were toys and books everywhere! What had been so easy and fun, when it was all her own idea, suddenly looked impossible. "Grandma, will you help me? This is too hard!" she cried. Grandma looked at her kindly, but firmly. "No, Sally" she said, "You can do it. It is not too hard for you. Just pick them up one at a time, the way you did when you were playing." Sally blinked back a tear that had tried to squeeze out of her eye and started picking things up. When she did it the way Grandma had suggested, it really wasn't all that hard. When everything was put back in its place, she and a couple of her friends crawled up in Grandma's chair, ready for story time.

In a few minutes, Grandma came back into the room and smiled at Sally. "Good job, Sally!" she said, "I knew you could do it!" Sally smiled back as Grandma picked her up onto her lap. "There is a very good lesson in this." Grandma said. "The Most High has given us instructions about how we are to live. Sometimes we want to go our own way and do our own things, but His Way is always best. The sooner you understand this, the better your life will be. Now which story would you like me to read? You finished your work so quickly, that we might even have time to read 2 books!"

Growing

All of us have had small beginnings. Just the other day I went out to the garden and found a few little strawberry plants that had survived the drought we had last summer. I took pity on them, dug them up, and put them in a planter that I can keep close to the house so I can water them regularly. We will watch them through this summer and see how they grow. Do you think we will get strawberries? I sure hope so!

The Most High wants us to grow too! He knows when we have hard things happen to us. Sometimes things happen that we don't understand. My little strawberries can't think like you and I do, but can you image how it would feel to be dug out of where you have always grown? It might seem like everything was going crazy, but it is really for their own good. Now they have a chance to grow safely and be taken care of. We will watch them through this summer and see what happens! Always remember God wants the best for you!

February 29, 2024

For I am mindful of the plans I have made concerning you - declares the Lord - plans for your welfare, not for disaster, to give you a hopeful future. (Jer. 29:11 JPS)

(Update as of March 28, 2024) As you can see from this picture, I now have one bloom on one of my little berry plants! All of the plants have struggled a bit after being transplanted, but they are all still alive. I moved the planter into the garage the other night, because it got too cold overnight. The planter is now sitting in a different spot. This will give it more sunshine, which is what it seems to be needing. We will keep watching! Hopefully the plants will be able to produce strawberries this year.

(Update as of May 17, 2024) About half of the plants died and all the blooms dropped off, but the plants that survived appear to be flourishing now. We will do what we can to keep them growing. Hopefully we will have strawberries next year!

(Update as of June 27, 2024) Look! We are getting runners now! That is how strawberries make more plants.

(Update as of July 17, 2024) Look at how nicely the planter is filling up! It's too late in the year to get strawberries now, but we should have some next year!