From Grampa with Love: Volume 1

Lorne and Elizabeth Yade live on a small 23-acre farm in Ontario, Canada, which includes a creek and a pond, with a forested area nearby completing the picture. Their thirty-four years in this location have provided them with interesting experiences and exceptional opportunities to observe and interact with many kinds of wildlife.

With warmth and love, “Grampa” Yade has written these true accounts as letters and stories for children. Drawing from the Yades’ many years of teaching children’s Sunday school classes, a valuable Bible lesson is woven into each story. Grampa likes to sing, and some of his favorites are presented for children to learn.

As we walk with Grampa and Gramma through these fascinating and sometimes humorous accounts, we also meet their pets that have shared their lives. We are also happily introduced to some of their twelve grandchildren and extended family.

Jake and Snowflake

Jake the dog and Snowflake the cat live on Grampa’s small farm. Jake lives in a nice, warm dog house. His duty is to bark or give warning to his master when strangers come near the house. Snowflake, who is pure white, lives in the barn in a nice nest of straw up in the rafters. Her duty is to catch the mice that like to eat the covering on electric wires in the barn, which could then cause a fire.

Jake and Snowflake do not get along together at all. They both live outside winter and summer, so they know each other’s habits.

One day the barn door was left open while Snowflake was down on the barn floor. Jake spotted her, and that could only mean trouble! Snowflake knows it’s dangerous to come down during the day because Jake is always loose.

Boys and girls, this reminds us of Satan. The Bible warns us in 1 Peter 5:8 to be very careful and watchful because our enemy Satan, or the devil, walks around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to destroy. The verse reads like this: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.”

Jake made a dash for Snowflake, but Snowflake spotted a ladder that was leaning against the wall of the barn, and she made a run for it. Whew! She just made it! Cats are not noted for climbing ladders, but Snowflake sure learned in a hurry that day. As she started to climb, Jake leaped up at her and just missed her tail.

When Snowflake got to the top of the ladder, she jumped over to her nest in the rafters and looked down at Jake and gave a long meeeeoooow. Jake looked up at her and growled as if to say, “I’ll get you the next time!”

Boys and girls, the Lord Jesus Christ is a ladder to heaven for you and me! Satan would love to have us, but Christ has made the way to heaven for us through His own precious blood. This is a good verse for you to memorize: “Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold ... but with the precious blood of Christ” (1 Peter 1:18-19).

Have each of you boys and girls trusted Him?

The Rescued Grasshopper

Dear Children,

Let me tell you about the grasshopper that got stuck in the rain barrel behind the barn.

I was weeding the garden and I stopped for a rest, because it was very warm. After a while, I took the empty water bucket over to the rain barrel to get some water to put on the garden. Lo and behold, there was a grasshopper on top of the water, trying his very best to hop out of the water he was floating in. He hopped and hopped but wasn’t going anywhere.

As I watched him, I knew what would happen. Soon that hopper would get tired and just drown and go right down to the bottom!

Now I know what you children are asking: “Grampa, did you help him?”

Well sir, when I was fourteen years old, and that’s a long time ago, God saved me from going down to hell. He looked down from heaven and saw me lost in sin, and He gave me this beautiful verse from the holy Bible: “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). I believed it and was saved! The Bible tells us that the Lord Jesus also gave a verse to a man named Nicodemus. “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). Nicodemus believed that the word “whosoever” meant him, and he believed what Jesus said and was saved too.

We sing a chorus in Sunday school that goes like this:

That means me, that means me,

“Whosoever will believe,” and that means me;

I am so very glad because the Saviour said,

“Whosoever will believe,” and that means me.

Well now, I felt sorry for that hopper, so I gently put my hand underneath him. As soon as he felt my hand, he gathered strength in his hind legs, gave a mighty shove with those legs, and out he jumped! Boy, was he glad to be free! One moment ready to drown — the next moment, FREE!

Children, are you ready for heaven? Are you free from your sins? That grasshopper doesn’t know who set him free, but I not only know who set me free, I sing about Him! “He brought me up also out of a horrible pit ... set my feet upon a Rock ... and He hath put a new song in my mouth” (Psalm 40:2-3).

Children, I hope that at least one of you will trust the Lord Jesus Christ today! Will it be you?

Love,

Grampa

Reddy the Squirrel Takes a Chance

Dear Children,

I am writing this letter to tell you what Gramma and I saw when we had just finished eating our breakfast. We were sitting looking out the kitchen window at the brand new, beautiful, white blanket of snow that had fallen through the night. The snow was about one inch deep. Gramma reminded us what God’s Word says in Isaiah 1:18: “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.”

“Yes,” I said to Gramma, “that is correct. And the reason they can be as white as snow is found in 1 John 1:7: ‘The blood of Jesus Christ His [God’s] Son cleanseth us from all sin.’”

Just about then, Gramma got all excited and said, “I see a little red squirrel, and it’s starting to run across the yard!”

I said, “Gramma, are you sure it’s a red squirrel?” I asked her that question because we rarely see a red squirrel. We see lots of big gray squirrels and black squirrels but not red ones.

Then she said, “He stopped, and now he’s running back under the tree.” She sat watching the squirrel, and then suddenly she said, “He’s starting to run again just as fast as he can go towards the far evergreen tree!”

So I looked out and, sure enough, it was Reddy the squirrel running like his life depended on it! And then, like a flash, we saw the reason why Reddy was dashing for the evergreen tree! Here came the reason, diving out of the sky! It was Mr. Redtail the hawk! Reddy was running as fast as he could go! ... and Mr. Redtail was zooooming down as fast as he could dive! Wow! And then ... ZINGO!

Now, children, don’t you read the end of this letter to find out what happened, okay? First, let me tell you that Reddy knew that Mr. Redtail was up there in the sky, just waiting and watching for him to make that run to the next tree. Reddy also knew that Mr. Redtail is his deadly enemy. Yes, Reddy knew all these things, BUT ... he was still willing to take that chance of getting to the next tree before Mr. Redtail could catch him. And Mr. Redtail sure was planning to have Reddy for his breakfast!

Now, let me tell you about a king found in the Bible in the Book of Daniel, chapter 5. His name was Belshazzar and his grandfather’s name was Nebuchadnezzar. Now then, God had taught Nebuchadnezzar some very painful lessons to teach him to be humble and respect God. Sadly, Belshazzar was not the least bit interested in what God had done for his grandfather. He was going to take the chance of living his kingly life without God.

So, one night Belshazzar made a big party for all the people in his palace. At that party, the people were doing things that were very bad. In other words, they were sinning against God.

God saw and heard what was going on at the party. Then God wrote on the wall just four words! The party became very silent, and there was no more loud music and joking around then. The people could not understand what the writing on the wall said. So the king called in a man by the name of Daniel who could understand the writing.

First of all, Daniel reminded Belshazzar of the lessons God had taught his grandfather. And then Daniel also reminded him that even though he knew all this, he still did not respect and honor God. Then Daniel explained to Belshazzar what the four words on the wall were saying: God has numbered your kingdom and finished it. Tonight you will die! And that night Belshazzar was killed, and another king took his place. How sad that Belshazzar did not listen to the words of his grandfather!

Children, as you are reading these stories, you have learned that you must be saved from your sins to be rescued from going down to hell. Here’s a good Bible verse for you to read. Acts 16:31 Says, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.”

“Grampa, now tell us what happened to Reddy.”

Well ... as we said, Mr. Redtail was in a zooming dive for Reddy, and Reddy was running like his life depended on it! At the very last moment, Reddy made a dashing dive right under the outstretched branches of that evergreen tree. SAVED! Mr. Redtail was so close that when he swooped upwards, his wings brushed snow off the branches of the evergreen tree!

The chance that Reddy took running for the evergreen tree almost cost him his life! Boys and girls, don’t take chances with your soul! Sing this Sunday school chorus with Gramma and me, and pay close attention to what it’s telling you.

Trust the Saviour early, Jesus says today,

While you’re young and tender, choose the narrow way,

Lest when you grow older, Satan snares your feet,

And you miss the way to heaven’s golden street.

We love you, children,

Gramma and Grampa

Smart Jake

One mild day in March, even though snow was still on the ground, the ice on the pond was getting very soft and no longer safe. Two of our grandchildren came to visit us, bringing two of their friends. We warned all of them not to go near the pond since the ice was very soft. They said, “Okay, Grampa.”

The Lord Jesus has warned us of wrath to come. “Who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” (Matthew 3:7). God knows that judgment is not far away, and so He has given us a way to escape this “wrath” through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

The children took our dog Jake outside with them and were having a good time in the wet snow. They would make snowballs and throw them so Jake would chase them. (Gramma and I were watching all this through the living room window.) Then one of the boys got the idea to throw snowballs out on the ice to see if Jake would go after them. But somehow Jake knew the ice was unsafe and would not go out on the pond. God has given some animals instincts that we humans do not understand.

However, one boy decided to try the ice anyway. He got out about two feet and broke through! Now, if the children had obeyed us, this would not have happened. “Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right” (Ephesians 6:1).

The children knew who they could turn to for help. They came straight to the house as fast as they could run. We were waiting for them at the door. Off came the water-filled boots and wet snowpants.

“What happened?” Gramma asked. She knew all along what had happened. And God knows all things too, for He tells us that “the eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good” (Proverbs 15:3).

“Jake pushed me in,” answered the boy.

“Well,” Gramma said, “if Jake pushed you in, why isn’t Jake wet too?” Now what could he say?

The children finally very sheepishly admitted they had done wrong, and we forgave them. BUT ... work had to be done to clean up their disobedience. Clothes had to be washed and dried.

And our Lord Jesus Christ has completed the work for our salvation on the cross of Calvary through His own precious blood. He will wash your sins away if you just run to Him. He is waiting for you.

Will you trust in the finished work of Christ? “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

Snowflake and the Bird

Snowflake the cat lives in our barn. She not only has a nice, comfortable nest in the rafters, she also has a warm place on my workbench by the window of the barn. On sunny days, Snowflake loves to lie there by the window where she takes catnaps in the warm sunshine.

One spring day the barn door was left open, and a number of birds flew into the barn. Snowflake woke right up at the sound of their chirping. Her eyes and ears became very alert.

The birds must have thought the barn would be a nice shelter where they could build nests for their eggs. What they didn’t realize was that their most-dreaded enemy lived in there!

This makes me think of the devil who has put a lot of nice things in front of boys and girls, and men and women too, to keep them from coming to Christ. They don’t realize that these “nice things” are called “the pleasures of sin” (Hebrews 11:25) and end in death. “Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment” (Ecclesiastes 11:9).

When those birds spotted Snowflake, they were terrified! They started to fly all over the barn, looking for a way out. Finally, all but one found the open doorway. That little bird tried to fly through the closed window right where Snowflake had been sleeping and now was watching them. When it hit the window, Snowflake reached up with her front paw, opened her claws and caught the bird.

Poor little bird. It thought it had found the way out, but it made a bad mistake and paid for it with its life. This reminds us of Proverbs 14:12 which says, “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man; but the end thereof are the ways of death.”

We cannot enjoy the pleasures of sin and refuse to get saved and still expect to be in heaven. The Bible tells us that no sin will ever be in heaven. “There shall in no wise enter into [heaven] anything that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life” (Revelation 21:27). Just as it was impossible for the little bird to fly through a closed window, so it is impossible for us to be in heaven without coming to Christ, who tells us, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me” (John 14:6).

Children, are your sins gone so that one day you will be in heaven?

Mother Duck and the Seven Ducklings

Dear Children,

Gramma and I have been very busy working in the garden, but I really must take time to write this letter to tell you about the wild mother duck and her seven ducklings. They were hatched out in the marsh behind our house, not far from where a snapping turtle lives who thought he just might catch one or two of those ducklings for a tasty dinner!

The other morning Gramma and I had just finished weeding the garden. It was warm, and we decided to take a rest from our work. We sat in the kitchen, looking out over the pond to see if there were any wild ducks or geese out there. Well now, what we saw did not make us very happy. Just twenty feet from the edge of the pond sat a very large snapping turtle!

Now snapping turtles can be dangerous. They have strong, sharp-edged jaws that are good for capturing food. They cruise along under the surface of the water and catch any unsuspecting or careless frogs, fish or even ducklings! They catch a duckling by its leg and drag it underwater until it drowns. Then it becomes supper.

Doesn’t this remind us of our enemy, Satan? He is very clever at laying traps for anyone who is not wise to his ways. You know, the Bible says that it is a sin to lie, it is a sin to steal, and it is a sin to use bad language. One of Satan’s favorite traps is to whisper into the ears of boys and girls something like this: “It’s okay ... go ahead and do it ... no one can see you ... no one will ever know anything about it.” But the Word of God says in Proverbs 15:3, “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.” Oh boys and girls, don’t let Satan lead you into this trap of thinking that God cannot see what you do or hear what you say. Satan is a real danger to you, like that snapping turtle cruising around the pond.

Just then Gramma and I saw something else that was rather distressing. Along came Mother Duck leading her seven baby ducklings right to the pond! Uh-oh! We could just imagine what the snapping turtle was thinking: Here comes my dinner right to me!

Straight to the bank waddled Mother Duck, leading her seven babies. When she reached the top of the bank, she stopped dead in her tracks! She had spotted her deadly enemy, Mr. Snapping Turtle! She didn’t move, and somehow she must have told her babies not to come any farther, because they stayed right behind her.

Gramma was getting a little worried about those baby ducklings and said to me, “Should we go chase that snapping turtle out of there?”

“No,” I said, “I don’t think we should. We would be scaring the ducks and the turtle at the same time. Let’s wait and see how Mother Duck handles this problem.”

Gramma and I were very surprised at what happened next. Mr. Turtle very slowly crawled over to the west side of the pond and slid down the bank into the water. Hiding just under the surface, he swam out from that side of the pond and waited for Mother Duck and her family to swim by. He was completely out of the ducks’ sight.

But Mother Duck was wise! She was watching the turtle all the while. She stayed where she was for ten minutes, and then she turned to the other side of the pond from where the turtle was and walked along the shore. She waddled down the bank and into the water, swam out a little, and then turned and waited for her babies to catch up. They followed her in ... one, two, three, four, five, six ... uh-oh, where is number seven? Had the turtle already gotten one?

No, Mr. Turtle was on the other side of the pond, still hiding underwater, just waiting for them to swim by. But Mother Duck knew he was over there, so she and the six ducklings were waiting for number seven. Finally, here he came! But why did he take so long? We don’t know. He may have found a water spider or some other kind of bug to play with and did not realize the danger he was in. Gramma and I were very glad that Mother Duck did not swim away and leave number seven behind.

Now then, some of you children are asking, “How did Mother Duck and the ducklings get past Mr. Snapping Turtle?”

She stayed very close to the east side of the pond, as far away from him as possible. Then at the entrance of the pond, she wiggled through a narrow passage in the tall reeds and then out into the creek, with the seven ducklings right behind her.

Hooray! Mother Duck and the ducklings made it! And Mr. Snapping Turtle was left behind, still hungry.

Needless to say, Gramma and I were very happy for wise Mother Duck and her family that were now safely out in the creek where that snapping turtle could not catch them. But, boys and girls, Satan is just like that vicious snapping turtle, trying to catch anyone he can and stop them from getting into heaven! He would rather have you with himself in that terrible lake of fire! Oh, do not listen to his lies! Be wise and come to the Lord Jesus who loves you and died for you so that you can live with Him in the safety of heaven.

Have you ever memorized John 3:16? “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever [that means you and me] believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life [in heaven].” It’s such a wonderful verse that I hope you will memorize it if you don’t already know it.

Lots of love,

Gramma and Grampa

Mr. Coyote and the Cat

Dear Children,

Let me tell you about the coyote and the cat!

The clock said 6:00 a.m. It was time to get up. So up I got and looked out the bedroom window toward the trees and pond in our front yard. We also have a creek flowing through our backyard. One morning we had about one hundred Canada geese in our backyard eating the corn we had put out. This morning I was surprised to see a coyote in the front yard. He was sitting watching the cat that was fairly close to him.

Well, the coyote got up from his sitting position and moved slowly toward the cat. Now then, that cat started to walk toward the coyote! The cat had only moved five feet when the coyote retreated. The cat stopped as well. They watched each other for about two or three minutes, and then the coyote moved toward the cat again! The cat started to walk toward the coyote as well, but again the coyote retreated, and again the cat stopped.

Little did the cat realize it was gradually losing its only place of safety, which was a big tree not far behind it. The coyote knew what it was doing; it was luring the cat away, bit by bit, from that tree and safety. Then it would suddenly charge, and the cat would have no place to run or to climb for safety, and Mr. Coyote would kill it!

Children, I thought about Satan trying to lure you boys and girls away from Sunday school where you learn about the Lord Jesus Christ and how much He loves you. Satan puts things in front of your eyes that are sin—he will whisper in your ears things that are wrong. He says, “Go ahead and do it. No one will ever know.” But God knows! God sees! God hears! John 8:44 tells us that Satan is the father of lies, but John 1:17 tells us that “grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.” We can always be sure that what Jesus says is right and true.

“Oh, Grampa, what happened to the cat?”

Well, I called to Gramma to come and watch, and she didn’t like what she saw at all! She ran out the front door and down the steps, hollering at the coyote with all her might! It was kinda funny, but I didn’t let her see me laughing as I probably would have been scolded for letting it go this far. The coyote took off, and the cat was saved. Gramma was happy, and I was too. I wouldn’t have let the coyote get the cat either.

Dear children, the Lord Jesus Christ came to save us from going down to hell. Have you come to Him for that place of safety? He loves you and will wash your sins away just as soon as you tell Him you believe He came to die for your sins. Will you trust Him today? “Whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe” (Proverbs 29:25).

Love,

Grampa

Jake and the Mud Wasps

One sunny day in June, Gramma said to me, “Grampa, it’s about time we got rid of that old sandbox by the barn. The children are all grown up now.”

I said, “You’re right.”

So out to the barn I went to get a shovel and a pry bar to dig out the boards. Our dog Jake came along to help. But first, he checked in the barn to make sure that Snowflake, our cat, was up in the rafters and not down on the ground where he could chase her.

Now, let me tell you what happened. As I pried up the first board of the old sandbox, out flew a swarm of mud wasps! I dropped the pry bar and ran away as quickly as I could. My two old legs could really move that day!

And what did Jake do? Well, he wanted to see what I was running away from, so he went over to investigate. I called, “Jake! Jake! Get out of there! Come here! Hurry up!” But Jake was determined to see what was there, and he wouldn’t listen to me.

This reminds me of God’s Word in Matthew 3:7 which says, “Who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” Flee means to run away as fast as you can. What is the wrath to come? God’s Word tells us in Revelation 20:15, “Whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” The Lord Jesus Christ wants us to flee to Him as quickly as possible, so that we will not be cast into this terrible place of punishment. He wants to save us.

You see, boys and girls, Jake was being bad; he wasn’t listening to me. Every one of us has been bad too. God’s Word, the holy Bible, says in Romans 3:23, “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”

It didn’t take long for those mud wasps to find Jake, and then did he run! He turned in circles and rolled in the grass, trying to get away from those wasps.

Finally, he came to me! I picked up a big pair of gloves and started to pick the wasps out of his hair and squash them. But it was too late for poor Jake. He had gotten stung twice on his lip, and it was all swollen.

After I got Jake all fixed up, I put on a coat and face mask and then carried some oil over to that mud wasps’ nest and poured the oil all over it. Do you think Jake came with me? No sir! He had learned a lesson he will never forget.

Boys and girls, the Lord Jesus is calling you away from the dangers of sin and the lake of fire. Won’t you run to His loving arms right now? Don’t wait until it’s too late like Jake did. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 6:2, “Now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” Let’s remember again the warning in Revelation 20:15, “Whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”

“Whosoever believeth in Him [our Lord Jesus Christ] should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

Will you trust Him today before it is too late?

Grampa’s Bird Feeders

Dear Children,

I want to tell you about our bird feeders. We have five of them around the house. It is so interesting to watch the birds come to feast on the seeds that we put out for them. There are many different kinds of birds that come, and they all come because they know there is food!

One morning we were watching the birds, when all of a sudden they just up and flew away! Gramma and I both said, “What’s wrong? What happened?” Within seconds we saw the reason — a marsh hawk! We call this hawk “The Hunter.” We have seen it many times, and we also find little piles of feathers after his visits. He is not fussy over which color bird he catches and eats. We have found red feathers, black feathers, gray feathers, brown feathers, and other colors as well. Gramma and I sure don’t like this “hunter,” but what can we do?

Doesn’t this remind us of Satan who goes about looking for any he can destroy? It sure does, children! But if you are alert and wise to his very crafty and sneaky ways, here is a way to be sure that He will never catch you. The only sure way to avoid him is to accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour. He is the only One who can save you from Satan.

Those little piles of feathers are from birds that were careless or too slow in taking off from the bird feeder! One bird will always call a warning to the others when danger is near. Maybe, just maybe, some bird did not listen to the warning!

And, children, God has given you and me warnings in His Word, the holy Bible. “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2). “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31).

Jesus loves the little children,

All the children of the world,

Red and yellow, black and white,

All are precious in His sight,

Jesus loves the little children of the world.

We love you too!

Grampa and Gramma

Margaret Was Only Nine Years Old

Dear Children,

You have been asking me to tell you about some of the children that Gramma and I talked to when we were teaching Sunday school. Yes, Gramma was a teacher for twenty-three years, and I was a teacher for thirty years. Let me tell you about little Margaret.

Margaret was only eight years old when she started to come to Sunday school. She lived about ten miles away, so each Sunday her Sunday school teacher would pick her up. She was always ready and waiting with a big smile on her face. This was the only Sunday school she had ever attended, and she loved it, right from the very first day.

Children, do you love Sunday school? Do you love the Bible verses that you are asked to memorize? I hope so!

Little Margaret was learning all the verses from her Sunday school paper, so we gave her a beautiful new Bible for her very own. I cannot tell you how happy she was!

There was only one thing that made Margaret sad, and that was when the Sunday school teacher would tell her how the Lord Jesus Christ was so hated by the people and how the people shouted out to “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” She couldn’t understand why the people hated Him. All she could think about was the good things He did — healing sick people, making blind people to see, and lots of other things.

Her favorite verse was John 3:16. She didn’t think that anyone really loved her, but when her teacher pointed out in John 3:16 that “God so loved the world,” she knew that meant that He loved her too!

Little Margaret had just turned nine years old when she accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as her Saviour. She was very interested in John 3:16. She wanted to know all about “whosoever” and “eternal life.” We explained to her that “whosoever” means “me,” and that when we believe and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as our Saviour, then we have eternal life. We showed her Romans 6:23, that “the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” I said before that Margaret was a very happy child. But knowing her sins were gone and that she had eternal life made her even happier than she was before. Now she started telling other boys and girls in Sunday school that they needed to be saved. We were all very happy for Margaret.

It was in the month of September that little Margaret was sound asleep at home in her second-floor bedroom when disaster struck. FIRE! FIRE! What a terrible word to hear when everyone is asleep in bed!

Can you imagine what it would be like if the Lord Jesus came while you were sleeping in bed? No chance now to be saved. You have said “No” once too often to your Sunday school teacher and maybe to your parents or brothers and sisters. Why did you say “No”? Because you said, “Maybe tomorrow,” or “Next week,” but not today. And now everyone that is saved is gone! You go looking for them, but you can’t find them. You are left behind! The Lord Jesus said in John 14:3, “I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there [you] may be also.” How sad that, with all the opportunities you had to be saved, you refused. You said, “No.” Now you are left behind! How sad; how awful!

Fire trucks and firemen arrived at Margaret’s house. Water hoses were turned on the house. Family members were rescued by the brave firemen who risked their own lives to save them. “Is everyone out of the house?” asked one fireman.

“No! Little Margaret is still inside!”

Back into the flaming house raced one brave fireman! He found little Margaret lying on the floor of her bedroom. He rushed outside through the smoke and flames, carrying Margaret in his arms, but it was too late. Little Margaret was now safe in the arms of Jesus, the One she loved and trusted for her soul’s salvation just a few weeks before.

When we went to the funeral home to look at the face of little Margaret, Gramma and I could say that she was safe in heaven. We could also say that someday we will see her again.

A few weeks later, Margaret’s brother came to Sunday school, and he had a bag in his hand. He opened it and brought out a Bible that looked in poor condition. The cover was dirty, but inside the pages were very clean. He smiled at us and said, “This is Margaret’s Bible.”

What a beautiful surprise! Sure enough, inside was her name and the date she trusted the Lord Jesus as her Saviour. Everything in their house was completely destroyed by the fire, but here was Margaret’s Bible. It was found under the burned-out bedspring of her mattress. No doubt Margaret laid it there, under her bed, just before she went to sleep. Then she woke up in heaven!

Dear children, if something like this happened to you, would you wake up in heaven? or in hell? There are only two places we are told about in the Bible where the souls of men, women, boys and girls will go when they die. The happy place is heaven; the very awful place is hell.

Little Margaret made a wise choice. She came to the Lord Jesus for salvation, He forgave her of all her sins, and now she is in heaven with Him. Don’t you agree that she made a very wise choice? Will you make that same wise choice right now?

Lots of love to you children,

Gramma and Grampa

A Lesson From the Blue Jays

Dear Children,

I want to tell you what Gramma and I saw this morning. We watched a mother blue jay and one of her babies fly in and land on one of our bird feeders.

The baby sat there with its feathers all fluffed out and its little beak wide open. It was waiting for its mother to put some food into its mouth. The mother bird would eat some seed for herself and then put some into the baby’s mouth. This went on for about five minutes. Then they both flew away.

In a very short time, Mother and Baby were back again for more seed. But this time Mother did not feed her baby, even though Baby sat there with its beak wide open, ruffling its little feathers. Mother blue jay acted as though Baby wasn’t even there.

Gramma and I thought this was very strange for Mother not to feed her baby! Then they flew away.

Again, in a very short time, they both returned. It was this third time that Gramma and I realized what Mother blue jay was doing. Children, have you guessed what Mother blue jay was doing?

I hear one of you say, “Grampa, she is teaching Baby blue jay to feed itself.”

You are right!

Again, even though Baby ruffled its feathers and opened its beak, Mother still did not feed it. Then, all of a sudden, Baby realized, If I am going to get something to eat, then I must feed myself!

Right then and there, Baby learned how to feed itself. CHEERS! We watched both Mother and Baby feed themselves to the full, and then they flew away back into the trees.

Yes, they often came back to the feeder, along with others. One morning Gramma and I counted eleven of them!

Dear children, each Sunday your Sunday school teacher reads to you from God’s Word, the holy Bible. Your teacher explains to you how you can have your sins forgiven and be ready for heaven. Like Mother blue jay teaching her baby, your teacher can tell you all about God’s way to heaven, but it is up to you to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ for yourself. Someone asked long ago, “What must I do to be saved?” The answer is, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:30-31).

We sometimes sing this song:

A little child of seven,

Or even three or four,

May enter into heaven

Through Christ, the open Door.

Bye, bye for now ...

Love,

Gramma and Grampa

The Dog Named Bear

This is a story of a dog named Bear. The reason he is called Bear is because he is black and looks like a bear.

One morning while visiting with Bear’s owner, I was walking around the back of their house and there was Bear. But he sure didn’t look like the dog I remembered. He was covered with little green burrs, and he looked like a green monster!

I said to Mr. Monroe, his owner, “Where has that dog been to get covered with burrs like that?”

Mr. Monroe said, “He’s been someplace where he shouldn’t have been!”

Say, boys and girls, doesn’t this remind us of sin? We go places, do things and say things that we shouldn’t. Then we try to cover up our sin as if nothing has happened. God says in His Word, the Bible, in Numbers 32:23, “Be sure your sin will find you out.” Bear couldn’t possibly hide his burrs. I thought that if we could just put a nice coat or blanket over him, we could hide all those burrs and he would look like Bear again.

But you see, boys and girls, God says in Proverbs 28:13, “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.” If we had covered Bear with a new coat, the burrs would still be underneath, and they would hurt him since these burrs are full of tiny needles. Sin is just like a burr — it hurts and hurts, and unless it is removed, it gets worse and worse.

Mr. Monroe got a brush. We only called Bear once, and did he ever come quickly! He seemed to know what we were going to do.

The Lord Jesus calls you to “come” in Matthew 11:28, “Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Are you ready and willing to come just as you are? Bear came just as he was. He couldn’t get those burrs out of his fur by himself.

When Mr. Monroe finished cleaning the burrs out of Bear’s fur, do you think he was sad? No sir! He wagged his tail and seemed as happy as could be. His burrs were gone!

God says in 1 John 1:7, “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.” Will you trust the Lord Jesus today? Let His precious blood wash away all your sins, and then you’ll be as happy as can be!

Would You Rescue a Wasp?

Dear Children,

Yesterday while visiting my sister, we watched a very interesting rescue!

And now you are probably asking, “Who was rescued, Grampa, who was rescued?”

Well, it wasn’t a “who”; it was a “what.” My sister rescued a wasp! You know, one of those flying insects that stings and makes boys and girls run for help.

Now you probably can’t believe what I just said and are asking, “You mean you rescued a wasp?”

No, not me. My sister rescued it. Here is how it happened.

There’s a pool of water in her backyard. A leaf had fallen into the water, and sitting on this leaf was a wasp. The wind was blowing the leaf around on top of the water, and this leaf with the wasp on it was starting to sink.

My sister has a very kind heart, and she did not want to see this poor wasp drown, even though she knew it could sting her. She knows God created wasps for a special reason, and it wasn’t to sting people. (That’s where sin comes in and the problems it has caused.) So she found a stick large enough to put under the leaf, and then she picked up the leaf and wasp together.

Why did she do this? Because her kind and tender heart did not want this poor wasp to drown.

Children, doesn’t this make us think of our loving, kind Father in heaven who loves each one of us? We read in Ephesians 2:7-8 of the “exceeding riches of His grace, in His kindness toward us, through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved [rescued] through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.” What a loving, kind God we have up there in heaven.

We also read in 1 Corinthians 15:55 that there is a sting in death. But God does not want us to feel this sting. He wants to give us His gift, which is eternal life. The Lord Jesus Christ suffered all the pain for sin at the place called Calvary, so that we would never have to suffer for our sins in the lake of fire ... but only if you and I accept Him as our Saviour!

Now somebody is asking, “Grampa, what happened to the wasp?”

Well, children, after the wasp was lifted out of the water and placed in the sunshine, its wings dried, and away it flew! It was rescued from drowning and was now safe!

And, children, after you are rescued from going down to the lake of fire, you will be safe and can walk and be happy in the sunshine of God’s love. “Whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe” (Proverbs 29:25).

On the next page is a song we sometimes sing. Maybe you can sing it too.

I was sinking deep in sin, far from the peaceful shore,

Very deeply stained within, sinking to rise no more;

But the Master of the sea heard my despairing cry,

From the waters lifted me, now safe am I.

Love lifted me! Love lifted me!

When nothing else could help, LOVE LIFTED ME!

Love,

Gramma and Grampa

Momma Duck Talks to Mr. Petersen

Dear Children,

This year we had many wild ducks and geese in the creek behind our house. We made sure that we fed them each day, and the parents always brought their families to the feeding area for Gramma and me to see. Then when the right time came in the fall, they all flew south, just as God has said in His Word!

I want to tell you a story about a mother duck who brought her eight babies into the city and almost lost all of them.

Mr. Petersen was walking along the sidewalk. On his left side was a creek, and on his right side was the road. He was rather surprised to see a duck come waddling up beside him, quacking away, and more surprised when it grabbed his pant leg. He shook the duck off and continued walking, but he kept his eye on the duck to see what it would do next.

The duck waddled away just a short distance and sat down on the grate of a storm sewer. Then, to Mr. Petersen’s surprise, the duck came back and grabbed him by the pant leg again! Quacking, the duck then waddled off and sat down on the same sewer grate.

Mr. Petersen thought to himself, I better have a look at this. He walked over to where the duck was sitting. The duck moved over so that he could see down through the grate into the sewer. Sure enough, in the water below, eight pairs of eyes from eight baby ducklings were looking up at him! Momma duck, not understanding the ways of city life, had led her babies right over the grate of the storm sewer. Being so tiny, they fell right through, with no way to get out.

Mr. Petersen decided he would just have to rescue those babies! He immediately called the police, and three of them came and removed the grate and very gently picked up the eight baby ducks, one at a time.

When Momma duck had her eight babies safely out of danger, she turned and, with her family behind her, waddled off down the grassy bank into the creek and swam away.

Mr. Petersen and the three policemen must have been very kind people to show such interest in this duck. Gramma and I got to thinking how kind our God and Father in heaven was to give His only Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to die for our sins on a cross at Calvary. That mother duck couldn’t say thanks to the kind men who rescued her babies, but we can sure say thanks to God for giving His Son to die for us!

We sometimes sing together in Sunday school:

Thank you, Lord, for saving my soul;

Thank you, Lord, for making me whole;

Thank you, Lord, for giving to me

Thy great salvation so full and free.

Gramma and I hope that everyone who reads this letter will “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31).

We love you all,

Gramma and Grampa

Chantel and Lassie

One day not long after my mother was taken home to heaven to be with the Lord Jesus, our granddaughter, Chantel, was busy packing her suitcase as if she were going on a trip. Chantel was only six years old.

After packing her suitcase, she picked up the leash for Lassie and went outside. She brought Lassie in on the leash, and then she picked up her suitcase and started out of the house.

Her mother said to her, “Chantel, just what do you think you are doing with that suitcase and Lassie?”

Chantel answered, “Me and Lassie are going to heaven to see Great Gramma. We miss her, you know.”

So Chantel’s mother sat down with her and explained to her that you just can’t walk to heaven. Chantel knows where her great gramma is. You see, Great Gramma knew the Lord Jesus as her very own Saviour, and when she died she went to be with Him in heaven.

Do you know anyone in heaven? Heaven is a very beautiful place. The Lord Jesus said in John 14:2, “In My Father’s house are many mansions.” If you die, will you go to heaven? You will if you are saved from your sins. But if you are still in your sins, you will go to the terrible place called hell, “where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched [put out]” (Mark 9:44).

Great Gramma accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as her Saviour many years ago, and He washed all her sins away in His precious blood. “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

Are your daddy and mommy going to heaven? Will you be with them in heaven? Why not accept Jesus Christ as your Saviour right now and know for sure that someday you also will be in heaven.

“These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God” (1 John 5:13).

Scarlett Disobeyed

Dear Boys and Girls,

Would you like to hear about the day that Scarlett, our Doberman dog, did not do what she was told? You know, sometimes children (and grown-ups too) are like Scarlett and don’t do what they are told either. Gramma and Grampa hope you are not like that. Why? Because God’s Word, the holy Bible, tells us to obey, and when we don’t obey, that is sin!

Some of you probably know that in the spring we have a lot of muskrats in our backyard. They come to eat that nice green, fresh, juicy grass that grows along the creek. Scarlett knew we sometimes had muskrats in the yard too. If one came up too close to the house, she would catch it and kill it.

Now that’s dangerous for a dog, and I’ll tell you why: Muskrats have very sharp teeth and claws. Our neighbor up the road had a smaller dog that caught a muskrat, and the muskrat did such damage to the dog’s eyes that it went blind! So Gramma and I were very careful to look out the window before we let Scarlett out. We wanted to make sure no muskrats were up near the house. If they were near the creek, there was no problem, because they could hear, see and smell Scarlett coming, and they got back into the creek or pond in one big hurry!

Well, one morning I didn’t look carefully enough, because when I let Scarlett out she took off like a shot! Then I saw the muskrat — too late! I hollered at Scarlett, “Come here! Come here!” No way! She became deaf!

Yes, Scarlett got the muskrat, but this one was a fighter, and it left a big cut on her face, just under her right eye. She almost lost her sight too, and it was two weeks before that cut was healed up. If Scarlett had obeyed, it never would have happened. Have you got any marks on your hands or knees from doing something you were told not to do?

After that, every time I petted Scarlett on the head or played with her, I could see that scar. It made me think of the Lord Jesus and the scars He received at Calvary for your sins and mine — His hands and feet where they drove the nails, His head where they placed the crown of thorns, and His side where they thrust in the spear. Scarlett had that scar on her face till she died at age fourteen. The Lord Jesus has His scars for eternity!

I thought about the Bible verse in 1 Peter 2:24 which says, “Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree [cross].” We sing in Sunday school:

Thank you, Lord, for saving my soul;

Thank you, Lord, for making me whole;

Thank you, Lord, for giving to me

Thy great salvation so full and free.

Boys and girls, Gramma and I hope that every one of you can sing this Sunday school song truthfully.

Lots of love from

Gramma and Grampa

The Baby Goose’s Mistake

Dear Children,

Some of you have asked if I would tell you what happened to that baby goose that I found on the lawn when I was cutting the grass. Okay, here’s what happened.

I was cutting the grass on the south side of the property when I came across this baby goose lying flat on its back. It was wiggling its feet, wings, neck and head and was really struggling hard to turn itself over onto its belly. So I stopped the lawn mower, put my gloves on, and walked over to see if I could help it.

I very gently picked up the baby goose and then walked over to the narrow part of the creek that runs through our property. I carefully placed the little goose, with its feet down, in the water, and away it swam! Boy, did it move fast! But ... this is not the end of the story.

“Why, Grampa? What happened next?”

Well, along that part of the creek there are many bramble bushes that are full of thorns and tangly vines. And that baby goose swam straight across the creek and into one of those bramble bushes! I was not too happy with that baby goose. I looked at it and said, “What a stupid goose! Maybe I should just let you stay there, and some fox or coyote will have goose for dinner!”

“You didn’t leave it there, did you, Grampa?”

No, I didn’t. But untangling that goose was going to make a lot of extra work for me. I had to go to the house, put on my chest waders to wade across that part of the creek, and also pick up my long-handled landing net.

When Gramma saw all this going on, I told her what happened. She said, “I am coming to help you.” I told her that was great because I would probably need help.

Now I got to thinking, Why did this baby goose do this? And I’ll tell you the two reasons I came up with: First, it was afraid of me and did not realize I was trying to help it. Second, it had no one to guide it or tell it which way to go. Its parents were out in the main creek and it was alone, so it did what it thought was best. And, as we have seen, it made a mistake. That was the wrong direction to go! It made me think about boys and girls and grown-ups who go through everyday life doing what they think is best. But sometimes a mistake has been made, and they find themselves in trouble.

You know, children, when it comes to knowing the way to heaven, we cannot make a mistake, because God’s Word, the Bible, plainly says in John 14:6, “I [Jesus] am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.” If you follow what God tells us, you won’t make a mistake!

“That’s right, Grampa. We learned that in Sunday school. Now what about the goose?”

Well, I had to wade across the creek to untangle that goose from the bramble bush, and it wasn’t easy. I’m glad Gramma was there to help. Now I had the baby goose in my hands again, and Gramma asked, “What are you going to do with it this time?” I told her to come with me and see. We both walked together along the creek until we came to the pond. The pond joins the main part of the creek and there is open water on the south side.

Now, I spoke kindly to this baby goose and said, “You see that open water out there? ... That’s the way to go. You will find other geese just like yourself out there ... and don’t get sidetracked ... go straight out!...because if you do get sidetracked, I can’t rescue you again ... the water is too deep for me!”

Well, children, whether that goose understood me or not, he made no mistake this time. Straight out he went just as fast as his feet and legs could paddle! He was rescued!

And so, children, thank God for Sunday school teachers, dads and moms, grandpas and grandmas, aunts, uncles or anyone else who will point out to you from God’s holy Word the right way to heaven! God’s Word does not make a mistake, and we don’t want you to either!

There’s no other way I can see

To save a poor sinner like me,

But Jesus my Saviour who died on the tree;

He’s the way up to heaven for me!

Lots of love,

Gramma and Grampa

Meet Chelsea

Dear Children,

Would you like to hear about our new dog? Her name is Chelsea, and she is a very smart Dalmatian. We got her a few months ago from a couple who were moving and could not take the dog with them. They knew our last dog, Scarlett, had died of old age. (She was fourteen.) And so they thought we might be willing to take Chelsea since she was 1½ years old and past the puppy stage. We enjoy having a dog, so she is now part of our family.

Chelsea loves to chase sunbeams, and she can do a lot of tricks now. She has learned how to open the door with her nose. When I turn the doorknob, she just gives that door a shove with her big black nose and gallops right into the house! I thought this was right smart on her part, but I found out much differently a few days later.

It had rained during the night, but this did not stop Chelsea and me from going on our usual walk. I like to feed the birds and the wild geese and ducks when we walk down to the pond.

Chelsea was running around, having a good time, and she sure wasn’t careful where she was going. I wasn’t watching her either, because I was interested in the birds that were singing.

We eventually arrived at the back door. As I turned the doorknob, Chelsea gave the door a shove with her nose and ran right into the house and down the hallway to find Gramma!

Boy, I sure wasn’t ready for what happened next!

I expect you’re asking, “What happened, Grampa, what happened?”

It was a really loud yell from Gramma! “Get that dog out of this house! She’s all dirty! She has to be cleaned off!”

Oh, boy, even Chelsea made a beeline for the back door!

So, Chelsea and I went to the back of the barn. I got a pan of water and washed her all off. She looked brand new! I dried her with a towel, and then when we got near the door I told her, “You sit here ... I’ll see if it’s okay to go in.”

I opened the door a crack and asked, “Is it okay to come in?”

“Yes,” answered Gramma, “but only if that dog is clean.”

I looked at Chelsea and said, “Okay, come on in; you’re clean.” Boy, was Chelsea ever happy to see Gramma!

You know, children, this reminds me of heaven. It is such a beautiful, clean place, and only those who have their sins washed away in the precious blood of Christ will ever enter in. Sin is like dirt. It sticks to us like glue. Stealing, swearing, lying, cheating and all the rest of our sins must be removed before we can enter into heaven.

It was easy to wash Chelsea’s back and legs, but I had to use a brush to wash her feet. She didn’t like being washed at all, but it had to be done before we were allowed back into the house. And when I was finished, she gave me a big lick, right up the side of my face, as if in dog language to say, “Thanks very much!”

Our Bible verse today is 1 John 1:7: “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.” That’s such a good verse to memorize. It tells us how we can have all our dirty sins washed away so we will be welcome in heaven, just like Chelsea had to have all the dirt washed off before she could go in the house. Here is a little song we sing about it in our Sunday school. Maybe you sing it too.

What can wash away my sins?

Nothing but the blood of Jesus;

So that not one spot remains?

Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Oh, precious is the flow

That makes me white as snow;

No other fount I know,

Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Lots of love,

Grampa

The Wolf and the Great Blue Heron

Dear Boys and Girls,

Gramma and I were sitting at the table tonight just talking, and she reminded me that I had never told you about the wolf and the great blue heron. I said, “You are right, Gramma! I have never told the children what happened.”

Now most of you children know what a wolf looks like, but maybe many of you don’t know what a great blue heron looks like, so I’ll tell you. It’s a very large bird with a sharp, pointy beak, a long neck and long, skinny legs. Herons use those long legs to wade slowly in shallow water as they hunt for fish, frogs and tadpoles. Okay, you get the picture, so now I’ll tell you the story.

It was September and about 6:30 in the evening. Gramma and I were still sitting at the dinner table looking out over the creek to see if anything was moving around out there. As we watched, a wolf came into view, walking slowly along the far bank. We wondered what this wolf was up to. He walked slowly down the bank, through some fallen branches, and then sat down about five feet from the edge of the water. He looked around and then lay down in the weeds.

We both thought this was very strange. So we looked up and down the creek, and then we saw it! A heron was slowly wading, working its way up to where the wolf was lying down. This heron was not being very careful. Maybe it was a young one and didn’t realize the danger it was in by wading so close to the bank. It was probably enjoying eating the frogs it was busy catching, but all the while it was getting closer to the bank ... and closer to the wolf!

Now there is no doubt in my mind that when this heron was growing up, its parents told it in bird language, “Never go near the shore ... there is danger there!” But maybe this young heron thought, I’ll be different; I want to go near the shore ... and I’ll get away with it. But this heron did not get away with it!

Some boys and girls think that God cannot see what they are doing or hear what they are saying. But God says in His Word, the Bible, “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, [watching] the evil and the good” (Proverbs 15:3). “Neither [is] His ear heavy, that it cannot hear” (Isaiah 59:1). God is always watching and listening, and none of us can get away with sin.

As the heron was wading close to the bank and busy catching frogs, the wolf was patiently watching the heron ... and waiting. THEN IT SPRANG! One great leap, and he had that heron by its long neck! There was loud squawking, the big wings were flapping, but that wolf had the heron in his powerful jaws! No escape now ... too late! The squawking stopped and the wings quit flapping, and the wolf backed up the bank, dragging that heron with him.

Boys and girls, are you like that careless heron, not watching or caring where you are going? I’m sure that as the heron felt those powerful jaws close on its neck, it knew that it should have stayed out in the middle of the creek. But it was too late then!

“Grampa, did the wolf eat that heron?”

Children, from what we could see from our side of the creek, there was just a big pile of feathers left. It was too late for the heron!

Sometimes we sing a song in Sunday school that says:

Too late! Too late! will be the cry,

Jesus of Nazareth has passed by.

We don’t want any of you boys and girls to be too late in accepting the Lord Jesus as your very own Saviour. Your Sunday school teachers are very patient each week, reading the Bible to you and telling you about Jesus and how He loves you and died for you and wants to save you from your sins. But do you pay attention to your teachers when they tell you that the time to be saved is RIGHT NOW? Second Corinthians 6:2 Says, “Behold, NOW is the accepted time; behold, NOW is the day of salvation.” Oh, children, if you haven’t come to Jesus to have your sins taken away, don’t wait another minute!

We love all of you,

Gramma and Grampa

The Lightning Bolt

It was Thursday, and Josh was having a discussion with his mother about the Bible. The teenager did not believe there was a God. He was speaking like a fool! God tells us plainly in Psalm 14:1, “The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God.” To show his disbelief in God, Josh finished the discussion with his mother by saying, “May God strike me down with lightning!”

The next day, Friday, Josh and his brother were in the city when a thunderstorm came up. They ran to a park which was close by. The two teenage brothers knew full well that standing under or near a tree in a thunderstorm is a very dangerous thing to do. Josh’s brother ran into the washroom to stay out of the rain, but Josh, in defiance of God, stood by a tree!

The lightning flashed! The thunder was deafening! A bolt of lightning that was very close followed instantly by a crash of thunder made Josh’s brother run outside to see if his brother was okay. He found Josh lying on the ground!

Boys and girls, it is very serious not to pay attention to the warnings of our parents. Josh’s mother had tried to warn her son not to tempt God, but he would not listen. God has warned each of us, “Beware lest He take thee away with His stroke: then a great ransom cannot deliver thee” (Job 36:18).

God was very kind and merciful to this young man. When struck by the lightning, Josh was only knocked unconscious. He was taken to a hospital, checked over and then released. He does have a burn hole in his hat and a bald spot on his head where the lightning struck him. And he has changed his mind about not believing there is a God. Now Josh needs to believe that God loves him and sent His Son Jesus to die for him.

Boys and girls, how many times have you picked up a Sunday school paper and read it and said to yourself, “I know I should be saved, but not today.” Then you set the paper aside. God says, “Behold, NOW is the accepted time; behold, NOW is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2). “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou SHALT be saved” (Acts 16:31).

Will you believe God’s warnings?

Chelsea Chased a WHAT?

Dear Children,

Gramma and I know that children like riddles, so here is a riddle for you. Tell me ...

What kind of dog is white,

Has black spots all over it,

And a light yellow spot on its forehead,

And also smells like a skunk?

Ho — ho — ho! Did you guess?

“Sure, Grampa, it sounds like your dog Chelsea ... she’s a Dalmatian. But how come she smells like a skunk?”

Well, children, this is how it happened. You know that I take Chelsea out every night around 9:30 for our usual walk. She likes to chase any rabbits she can find and also any cats that have strayed onto the property. While she’s off chasing something, I like to look up into the sky and wonder how our God could name all those twinkling stars. Psalm 147 tells us, “He calleth them all by their names.” Now see if you can find which verse says that.

Well, this time Chelsea chased the wrong cat! This one was a “POLECAT,” or better known as a skunk! When she came back to me, I could smell her before I saw her! I said, “Oh, no! She has been sprayed by a skunk!”

Chelsea was rubbing both sides of her head on the grass, trying her best to get rid of the odor. I said to her, “Chelsea, we did not train you to chase skunks! So now, how do you think you are going to get back into the house? Gramma will never let you in smelling like that!”

Gramma was horrified when she caught the odor of Chelsea. She said, “Let’s get that dog into the barn right now!” Then Gramma brought out a bucket of hot water with special soap and three quarts of tomato juice.

Right about then, I got to thinking that we did not train Chelsea to chase cats or skunks, yet here was the result of what she did.

When God created our first parents, Adam and Eve, they were without sin. But when Satan came along and tempted Eve, they both disobeyed God and did what they were told not to do. So the very first sin in the Bible is disobedience. Ephesians 6:1 Says, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.” Do you always obey your parents? Probably not, so that means you are a sinner, just like me. And we aren’t allowed into God’s house with our sins, just like Chelsea wasn’t allowed into our house with the skunk odor all over her.

Tomato juice is great for cleaning out the odor of skunk. Gramma poured the tomato juice all over Chelsea’s head, making sure the juice did not get into Chelsea’s eyes. Then Gramma used soap and water to wash her all over to remove the tomato juice and then dried her with a towel. The place on Chelsea’s head where the skunk sprayed her looked like a dull, yellow stain.

Children, isn’t that much like us? We can never get into God’s house, heaven, without having our sins washed away.

“All sins, Grampa?”

“Yes, all sins! Disobedience, telling lies, swearing, stealing and others are all sin. And do you know how we can have all those sins washed away? The answer is in this little song we sometimes sing in Sunday school.”

What can wash away my sins?

Nothing but the blood of Jesus;

So that not one spot remains?

Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Oh, precious is the flow

That makes me white as snow.

Now then, Chelsea’s skunk odor was washed off, and she was ready to come back into the house. By now it was 10:30. When Gramma opened the door, Chelsea was the first one in, making a dash for her own bed. Gramma and I and our grandson, who was visiting us, were right behind her.

Chelsea could do nothing to help herself, but we were ready and willing to help her, and she was willing to let us. Now for you and me, there is nothing that we can do to get to heaven. The Lord Jesus Christ did it all for us at the place called Calvary. His blood can wash us clean from every stain of sin. A verse in Psalm 51 Says, “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow” (verse 7). Gramma and I hope you are willing to let the Lord Jesus wash you clean from your sins so you will be allowed into heaven.

Bye bye for now, children.

Lots of love,

Gramma and Grampa and Chelsea

Are You Afraid of Snakes?

Dear Children,

Some time ago we had a family with three children visit us. The children sure liked our dog Chelsea, and they asked me if they could take her for a walk. I replied, “Sure, and I will come along too.”

It wasn’t long before one of the children asked me, “Grampa, are there any poisonous snakes around here?”

I answered, “Yes, we have a poisonous snake in this area and it’s a rattlesnake.” I think they all said, “WOW!” at the same time. But I went on to say, “I have never seen a rattlesnake in our yard yet.”

“Grampa, are you afraid of rattlesnakes?”

I replied, “No, I’m not afraid of them, but I don’t like them, because they are poisonous.”

Then one of the children asked, “Does the Bible talk about snakes?”

My answer was “yes, but they are not called snakes. God calls them serpents. The deadly enemy of our soul is Satan, or the devil, and God calls him a serpent!” And so as we made our way back to the house, I explained to these three children a little of what God has said about the serpent.

“Genesis 3:1 Says, ‘The serpent was more subtile than any beast of the field.’” (Now the word “subtile” means clever, crafty and stays hidden in order to hurt people.) “Satan, or the serpent, is the one who tempted our first parents to sin — Adam and Eve who lived in the beautiful Garden of Eden. This wicked serpent lied to them, and Adam and Eve believed him. So, because they believed this lie of the devil, God had to drive them out of the beautiful Garden of Eden.”

Now then, talking about a garden and a serpent, let me tell you what happened to Gramma and me in our garden a few days ago. It was time to pick the beans. Gramma started at one end of the row, and I started at the other end.

I no sooner got started when I came across a big, fat snake lying in the shade of the bean plants. I touched it with my finger to move it out of there, but instead of it moving across the garden, it started right down the row towards Gramma! I said to myself, Uh-oh, Gramma is not afraid of snakes, but she doesn’t like it when they creep up to her unawares and startle her. So I called to her, “There’s a snake coming your way.”

She looked at me with a grin on her face and said, “Oh yeah? Okay.”

I told her again, “There’s a snake coming your way! I’m not kidding or joking!” But she kept right on picking beans. Well, I didn’t have long to wait until I heard an “EEEEEEEEK! ... a snake!” And she shouted, “Why didn’t you tell me there was a snake coming?”

By this time, I was laughing at her, but there was no big grin on her face! I said, “I DID tell you, but you didn’t believe me.”

She said, “It’s not funny at all! ... I thought you were only joking.”

After a short conversation, we finished picking the beans. In the meantime, the snake slithered off into the rhubarb patch.

Children, our God in heaven gives warning that you must be born again (John 3:3), that you must be saved (Acts 4:12), that you must be converted (Matthew 18:3), or you will never be in heaven (John 3:5). He is not kidding or joking! He is very truthful and serious! He has said in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.” God’s way is the ONLY way to heaven!

I am sorry to say that there are some out there who will tell you to “do the best you can and you will be okay.” This is a lie from the devil, the serpent! We see what happened to our first parents, Adam and Eve, who believed this wicked serpent’s lies and did not listen to God’s warning: “Thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (Genesis 2:17). God is not joking!

Children, Gramma and I hope you will believe and obey what God tells us in the Bible.

Lots of love from

Gramma and Grampa

The Bright Red Yo-Yo

Dear Children,

Let me tell you what happened when Gramma and I went shopping in a big department store in the mall.

We were walking along together in the store and passing the counter where the toys were. I noticed a boy about seven or eight years old trying out the yo-yos. I told Gramma to go ahead as I was quite interested in what he was going to do with them.

I walked around the corner of the counter where he couldn’t see me, just to kind of spy on him! You know, he tried out every color of yo-yo there was. He finally decided on the bright red one. It was a beauty! He put his hand into his pocket, brought out his money, and then shook his head as if to say, “Not enough.” He counted it again and then put the money back into his pocket. Then guess what? Quick as a flash, he grabbed that bright red yo-yo, and into his pocket it went!

I know what you’re thinking: Uh-oh, Grampa, that’s stealing!

Yes, children, that is stealing. God has said in His Word, the holy Bible, “Thou shalt not steal” (Romans 13:9). Do you think this young boy knew that what he did was a sin? Yes I do, and I know you believe it too. If he didn’t know it was a sin, he would not have picked the yo-yo up so quickly and hidden it in his pocket!

So I walked around the corner very quickly and said in a real gruff voice, “What did you put in your pocket?”

Boy-oh-boy, did he ever jump! And at the same time he put his hand into his pocket, pulled out the yo-yo and threw it back onto the counter! And he said with a very shaky voice, “Nothing, mister, nothing ... Are you a policeman?”

Now then, that was another sin, because he told a lie! Two sins in less than a minute!

I did not tell him if I was a policeman or not. But in a gruff voice I asked him, “Why were you going to steal that yo-yo?”

Now this time he told the truth. He answered, “I don’t have enough money to pay for it.”

So what should he do now? He wants the yo-yo, but he doesn’t have enough money to pay for it? Children, no one in this world has enough money to buy a place in heaven either. Your sins and mine must be forgiven, and they can be forgiven, because God’s Word says, “The blood of Jesus Christ His [God’s] Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). It also tells us in Ephesians 2:89 that being cleansed from our sins is a gift of God. He paid the price, so it’s free!

“But, Grampa, what happened to the little boy?”

Okay, I’ll tell you. He and I counted his money again — not enough. Then I reached into my pocket and pulled out some coins, put some into his hand, plus a little extra because I told him there is tax that has to be paid too. He picked up the bright red yo-yo, looked me right in the eyes and said, “Mister, thanks a whole lot!” I watched as he almost ran to the checkout counter with his prize.

I wondered if he would tell his classmates at school how he got the yo-yo. I thought about the man in the Bible who the Lord Jesus spoke to and said, “Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee” (Mark 5:19). Children, every boy and girl who is saved should be doing just that!

Maybe you can sing the song that has these words:

Telling others, telling others,

My work now is telling others;

Since the Lord saved me,

I’m as happy as can be;

My work now is telling others.

Lots of love from

Gramma and Grampa

Ducklings Obey Their Mother

This is a story of a mother duck and her baby ducks. We were vacationing at a lake, and we really enjoyed seeing the wild ducks and the other water birds that live there.

One mother duck and her ducklings that we often watched always seemed to show up for breakfast and supper. You could hear mother duck quacking as she led her babies up the lake toward our campsite. Mother duck always gave a loud “quack,” but her babies just gave a little “peep.” She was very careful with her babies as she never let them get too close to shore. She knew there was danger on shore.

It made me remember that God has warned us of danger ahead. He has said in His Word, the holy Bible, “Flee from the wrath to come” (Matthew 3:7). Romans 5:9 says, “Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.”

When those baby ducks got too close to shore, mother duck gave a loud “QUACK,” and they all dashed right back to her.

God has spoken very loudly to us too, through the Bible. Hebrews 1:12 Says, “God ... hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son.” His name is Jesus Christ.

Boys and girls, God says in 2 Corinthians 6:2, “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”

Just as those baby ducks were quick to obey their mother, will you be as quick to obey God? Isaiah 1:18 says, “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”

Come to Jesus, come today!

There is nothing more to pay.

He will wash your sins away;

He’s a glorious Saviour.

What We Caught in the Trap

Dear Children,

Let me tell you what happened this morning when I went out to the barn. I opened the door and walked over to get a pail of birdseed to fill the bird feeders, and guess what I saw ... I saw a big mess of birdseed all over the floor! Some critter had been in the barn, found the bag of seed and had torn it open.

“Well,” I said to myself, “it’s your own fault for not putting this bag of birdseed into the seed bin which has a lid on it. Now then,” I said to myself, “I’ll just get that wire cage trap down and see if I can catch the critter that made this mess!” You see, this night critter could be one of many different animals.

I got to thinking about what the Bible says in John 3:19 about people who love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil. Children, do you love darkness rather than light because you don’t want someone to see or hear what you are doing? I hope not.

So now I was going to try to catch this animal critter that did his evil deeds at night. I carefully opened the door on the cage and put in some bait — usually peanut butter on a slice of bread will catch anything. Then very carefully I set the cage down on the floor not far from the birdseed mess. “If this critter comes back again, I’ll catch it for sure!” I told myself.

The next morning I was up bright and early and took Chelsea our dog with me out to the barn to check the trap. Now, what do you think we saw in the trap?

Nothing! Not a thing! Oh well, we’ll have to try again.

But maybe this critter is smart enough not to come back. Or maybe this critter is like boys and girls who sin once — maybe tell a lie, maybe steal something—and don’t get caught the first time but do it again, and zingo! — they get caught! Do you know anyone like that? It’s a terrible feeling to get caught in any sin!

Next morning I was up bright and early again. Chelsea was all excited as we walked to the barn. She ran ahead of me, and boy-oh-boy, she was inside and barking and growling and snarling all at the same time! What a noise! I said to myself, “Uh-oh, we’ve caught something for sure!”

Do you want to know what it was? It was a big, fat possum! He was trying to bite Chelsea, and Chelsea was doing her best to get through the wire cage to get at Mr. Possum! So I told Chelsea, “Leave it alone!” Chelsea looked at me, then looked at the possum and slowly walked away, still growling at it.

So here we had this night critter trapped in the cage. What do we do now?

It reminds me of Proverbs 6:2: “Thou art [trapped] with the words of thy mouth.” How can you get trapped with the words of your mouth? Very easily. By telling lies and by saying naughty words or things that are not nice. This is what God calls SIN, and this is how we get trapped with the words of our mouths.

But we have a way out of this trap! God says in 1 John 1:7, “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.” The Lord Jesus will wash away every one of our sins if we will let Him. That will get anyone out of his or her trap of sin. And then we should learn that verse in Psalm 34:13: “Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile [lies].” That will help us not to say naughty words or tell lies.

Now, what should we do with Mr. Possum in my animal trap? Shoot him? Noooooo, I wouldn’t do that.

Gramma and I carefully picked up the cage so that the possum couldn’t bite us. (They have very sharp teeth.) We put the cage on the back of the truck and drove a loooooong distance away from our home to a wooded area.

When we stopped, I picked up the cage and placed it on the ground. Then I had a talk with Mr. Possum. I told him, “Don’t you ever come back and steal the birds’ seed again. It is their food ... not yours!” Then I carefully opened the door of the cage to let him out.

Mr. Possum kind of sneaked out through the opening, stopped and looked around. Then realizing he was free, he took off like an arrow straight into the forest, probably saying to himself, “I’m free! I’m free! I never want to get into that cage again!”

And so, children, once you have trusted the Lord Jesus as your Saviour, He has a work for you to do. Are you wondering what that is? We often sing the answer in Sunday school:

Jesus wants me for a sunbeam,

To shine for Him each day.

Just shine for Him, children! God loves each of you, and we do too!

Love,

Gramma and Grampa

Pockets All Dressed up

Dear Children,

Just look at this picture of Pockets. Isn’t he cute, all dressed up in a shirt and pants with suspenders and sunglasses.

Gramma and I drove over to my sister’s house to have a visit and also to see Pockets go through some of his tricks. My sister has been teaching him how to do these tricks for over a year.

Gramma and I thought that Pockets must be a real smart dog to learn all these tricks.

In this picture he is all dressed up and going for a walk. When my sister takes him out for a walk, most people will stop and say “hi” to him and shake his paw, and some will even take a picture! Pockets just loves the attention.

My sister has spent a lot of time teaching Pockets all these tricks, and he listens very well. Children, when your Sunday school teacher spends time with you reading the holy Bible, do you listen really well and not play? I hope you pay attention.

When I saw Pockets walking so nicely with my sister, I thought of the Bible verse in James 3:78: “Every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: but the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.”

Dear children, we have seen elephants, parrots, serpents and dolphins all tamed by man. Men and women have spent their lives training animals and birds, but God says, “The tongue can no man tame.” Isn’t this sad? Your tongue and mine are very hard to control. Let me tell you two wonderful verses from the Bible. “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:9-10). So instead of using your mouth and tongue for saying bad words and wrong things, you will be able to use it for the glory of God!

In Mark 5, the Lord Jesus found a man who needed to be saved, and then in verse 19 He told the man, “Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee.” I’m sure this man would use his tongue to speak good things about the Lord Jesus Christ!

Just like my sister teaches Pockets how to do tricks, God’s Word, the holy Bible, teaches you and me how we can be saved from our sins and then live to please Him.

You know, Pockets always gets a reward for doing all his tricks, and he just loves those rewards. What about you and me? Yes, we receive something wonderful from God also! It’s found in Romans 6:23: “The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” What a marvelous gift! Eternal life in heaven with Jesus!

And do you know what, children? It would be another wonderful gift for Gramma and me to see all you children up there in heaven with us!

Bye bye for now — we love you,

Gramma and Grampa

P.S. Here’s a good Bible verse to memorize: “Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile [dishonesty]” (Psalm 34:13).

Oh, be careful, little tongue, what you say,

Oh, be careful, little tongue, what you say.

There’s a Father up above

Looking down in tender love,

Oh, be careful, little tongue, what you say.

The Spider and the Fly

One day in July, my grandson Stephen came to see us. He asked if he could go see Snowflake, our cat, in the barn. I said, “Sure.” So out to the barn we went to find her. She lives in the barn because her job is to keep it clean of mice and birds.

Snowflake isn’t hard to find because she is pure white. She was up in the rafters and would not come down. But we did see a big cobweb by the window above the workbench where Snowflake has a second bed and loves to lie in the sun.

Stephen said, “Look, Grampa. There is a big fly caught in the web, and there is the spider up in the top of the web. Let’s wait to see what will happen.”

After only a few seconds, down the web came Mr. Spider to get that big fly. The fly started to beat its wings furiously! So, the spider went back up the web. In a few more seconds, down came Mr. Spider again to get that fly. Again the fly started to beat its wings furiously!

Stephen said, “Look at that, Grampa. The spider won’t touch the fly as long as he beats his wings.”

I said, “That’s right, Stephen, but the fly is going to get tired soon, and then the spider will have him.”

Again, down came Mr. Spider to get that fly, and again the fly started to beat its wings, but not quite so hard this time. Back up the web went the spider.

Stephen was beginning to feel a little sorry for the fly and asked, “Grampa, do you think we should save that fly?”

Boys and girls, this reminds me of what God has said in His holy book called the Bible. “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Because we were born in sin (Psalm 58:3), we need to have someone save us from the penalty of sin. Romans 6:23 says, “The wages of sin is death.” So who can we turn to for help? God has told us in the Bible about His only beloved Son, Jesus Christ. “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Isn’t that wonderful, that even while we were just plain sinners, Christ would die for us! What good news!

“Stephen, I guess we will just have to save that fly since he sure can’t save himself.”

And we certainly can’t save ourselves from the web of sin we are caught in, either. We need help, and the Lord Jesus Christ can help us. First Timothy 1:15 says, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” Will you let Him save you today?

Stephen and I found a little piece of straw and let the fly hold on to it with his feet. Then we gently pulled him out of that web. Away he flew! Then he came right back and flew around our heads as if to say, “Thank you for saving me.”

Are you saved from your sins? If you are, have you thanked the Lord Jesus for saving you? “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation [God’s acceptable substitute] for our sins” (1 John 4:10).

Rylan’s Surprise

Dear Children,

We have a fireplace at our house, and we burn about eight cords of firewood in it each winter. Let me tell you the size of a cord of stacked, cut firewood: It is about four feet high, four feet wide, and eight feet long. See if you can picture in your mind eight stacks of firewood that size ... that’s a lot of firewood, isn’t it! But our winters are cold, and we keep cozy and warm with a fire burning in the fireplace.

Now all that firewood is in a big pile outside, and we carry it in and stack it in the barn to keep it dry. That’s a big job. Since I was recovering from an operation, Rylan came over to do the stacking for me. I sure was glad to have his help.

Before Rylan started to work, I warned him that he would probably find snakes in the woodpile. He looked at me with a grin on his face and said, “Yeah, sure, Grampa ... I know your tricks!” Now Rylan is a big boy, seventeen years old and six feet tall, but I asked him anyway, “Are you afraid of snakes?”

He answered, “No, I’m not afraid of snakes.”

I knew he would find some in the woodpile, because they catch bugs, mice and whatever else lives in the woodpile. So Rylan brought out the wheelbarrow and got right to work moving the wood into the barn.

It wasn’t long before I heard a startling, loud yell! I ran out of the barn to see what had happened. Rylan was standing back from the woodpile and staring right at it. I said, “What’s wrong?”

He said, “Look ... look at that big black snake!”

I said, “Where? ... I can’t see a snake.”

So he took my arm and we walked closer to the woodpile. “There it is ... can you see it now?”

I said, “Oh, yes, I see it. Boy, it’s a nice big one, isn’t it!”

Rylan said, “Yes, and I almost grabbed it. I thought it was just a piece of wood ... until it moved!”

Then I said to him, “But you told me that you weren’t afraid of snakes! Why are you afraid of them now? You’ve got gloves on ... go pick it up and get it out of here so we can finish piling the wood.”

He said, “No way, Grampa!” Well, by then the snake had moved over into the next pile of wood anyway, and we couldn’t see it anymore.

Now this snake (or serpent, as God calls them in Genesis 3:1) probably had been watching Rylan for some time. The devil, or Satan, is watching every move that we make, whether at home, at work, at school or at play. He is setting traps for each one of us, trying his very best to make us sin against God. And you know, children, when we sin, God writes it down in His book. We sometimes sing a song in Sunday school that reminds us:

He sees what we do, and He hears

what we say;

My Lord is watching all the time.

That old serpent, the devil, tries to blind us to sin! Just as Rylan at first could not see that big snake, Satan whispers in our ear, “It’s okay to tell that lie ... no one else will know it.” Or, “It’s okay to say that bad word...no one else will hear it.” Or, “It’s okay to take that ... no one else will see you.”

WRONG! God knows it! God hears it! God sees it! And God writes it in His book! Genesis 16:13 says, “Thou God seest me.” Children, don’t ever forget those four words — “Thou God seest me.” Just four words, but they will help each one of us to stay away from sin. And so, because we have sinned, God has made a way to save us from our sins. We find this way in 1 John 1:7: “The blood of Jesus Christ His [God’s] Son cleanseth us from all sin.” There’s another wonderful Bible verse in Acts 16:31: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.”

And now some of you boys and girls are asking, “Grampa, did Rylan see any more snakes?”

Yes he did. I asked him how many he saw before he finished stacking all the wood, and he answered, “Tons of them!” Then he said, “But I never tried to pick up any more of them, because I know what they look like now!”

And so, children, if you know it’s a sin to do something, don’t do it! What are our four words again? That’s right! “Thou God seest me.”

Lots of love to each one of you,

Grampa

A Big Fish

Dear Boys and Girls,

Do you like to go fishing? We have grandchildren who like to fish in the pond and creek in our backyard. And sometimes they catch some really big fish. When two of our granddaughters netted some big ones, one of them said, “I’m glad there aren’t any whales out in the creek or pond. I sure wouldn’t want to get swallowed up by one!” I decided I wouldn’t want to be swallowed by a whale or any big fish either. And that got me to thinking about Jonah and the big fish.

Maybe some boys and girls don’t know the story about Jonah that God has recorded in His Word, the holy Bible. Okay, I’ll tell you just a little bit about it.

Jonah is the name of a book in the Bible that tells the story about the man named Jonah who lived long before the Lord Jesus was born. The beginning of the book says, “The word of the Lord came unto Jonah ... saying ... ” But, Jonah wouldn’t listen to God; he was being disobedient! Instead of doing what God told him to do, he went down to the seaport (the opposite direction) and bought a ticket to take a boat across the sea and get away from God.

Jonah forgot that “the eyes of the Lord are in every place, [looking at] the evil and the good” (Proverbs 15:3). God saw exactly what Jonah was doing, and it was not good.

After Jonah got into the boat, it wasn’t long until the sailors knew something was wrong! A terrible storm blew up, and the sailors knew that it was the season of the year when there usually weren’t storms. Jonah was right down in the bottom of the boat, fast asleep, maybe hiding from God. But the sailors found him and asked him a lot of questions.

Jonah told the sailors what he was doing and admitted that it was his fault that the storm was upon them. He told them that the only way to stop the storm was to throw him overboard! So that’s what the sailors did — threw him overboard! And what a miracle took place! The wind stopped blowing, the waves died down, and it was a beautiful, calm day.

“But, Grampa, what happened to Jonah? Did he drown?”

No, because God had prepared a great fish to swallow him, and poor Jonah was in the belly of that fish for three days and three nights! That’s a looong time! At the end of those three days and three nights, Jonah confessed, If I’m ever going to get out of here, it will be only through God Himself! So he said, “Salvation is of the Lord.”

Then, guess what? Another miracle! This great fish deposited Jonah right out on dry land! Then Jonah did what he was told to do in the first place. He went into that great city and spoke the words that God told him to speak: “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.”

“Grampa, did the people believe Jonah?”

Yes, they sure did...every one of them... from the youngest to the oldest! Children, wouldn’t it be just great if everyone who reads this story, from the youngest to the oldest, would trust the Saviour, our Lord Jesus Christ? “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

Children, don’t be like Jonah and try to run away and hide from God. Our God is a kind and loving God who wants to give us a very precious gift. It’s called “eternal life” — a life that lasts forever in heaven! God’s Word says, “The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23). I sure hope you’ll accept the Lord Jesus as your Saviour and know that you have eternal life.

Now, the next time you go fishing and catch a big fish, are you going to think about Jonah like I did?

Lots of love,

Grampa

Jonathan and Samson

Jonathan is a little boy five years old, and Samson is his playmate. Samson is a big white German shepherd dog, and he is two years old.

Samson and Jonathan play together all the time. Jonathan throws the ball and Samson brings it back to him and drops it.

One day Samson brought the ball back to Jonathan, but he wouldn’t drop it when Jonathan told him to. So Jonathan had a talk with Samson and explained to him that he was supposed to “drop it” when he was told to. But Samson just didn’t want to do what he was told!

Say, boys and girls, doesn’t this remind us of what God has said in the Bible about us and sin? The Lord Jesus says in Matthew 11:28, “Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” But in John 5:40 the Lord Jesus says, “Ye will not come to Me, that ye might have life.” Sounds like we’re not willing to do what the Lord Jesus tells us, either.

Three times Jonathan told Samson to drop the ball, and he wouldn’t do it. What do you suppose happened next? Did Jonathan pull the ball out of Samson’s mouth? No he didn’t. Instead, he put his mouth right up close beside Samson’s ear and yelled, “DROP IT!”

Then Samson dropped the ball. I had a good laugh when I saw that, but poor Samson’s ear must have really hurt!

I thought to myself that sometimes the Lord Jesus has to speak really loudly to us, too. Why? Because in Matthew 13:15 the Lord Jesus says, “This people’s heart is waxed gross [without feeling], and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed.”

Oh, boys and girls, don’t close your ears to God’s Word. John 5:24 says, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life.”

Don’t be like Samson; he wouldn’t obey. If you won’t do what God has said in the Bible, the Lord Jesus will have to say to you what He said in John 7:34, “Ye shall seek me, and shall not find Me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come.”

Isaiah 1:18 says, “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”

Jesus, I will trust Thee,

Trust Thee with my soul;

Guilty, lost and helpless,

Thou canst make me whole.

A Winter’s Nighttime Walk

Dear Children,

I thought I would write a short letter to you and let you know what happened to Gramma and me a few nights ago.

This was 9:30 at night. It was very cold, and the moon and stars were shining on a brand new blanket of beautiful white snow. The trees were casting their shadows on the snow from the bright moon. Gramma and I put on our warm clothes and boots and went out for a walk. Even Chelsea was excited to go with us. She always enjoys chasing any rabbits that are close by.

We were walking down the driveway when I spotted something about sixty feet ahead of us. I thought it was a shadow, but then I realized there were no trees in this area. So we just stopped and looked. Gramma couldn’t quite make out what this object was, but I could see a perfect outline of it against the snow. It was a wolf! It was just sitting very still and quiet, and it was watching us!

Afterwards, I got to thinking about what Hagar said to God in Genesis 16:13. She said, “Thou God seest me.” How very true! And this wolf probably saw us from the time we left the house!

Children, do you ever get the feeling that someone is watching you? especially when you are doing something wrong or have told a lie? Sure you do, and so do I. Do you know who that Someone is? It is God! And God isn’t just watching; He is writing too. I wonder how big a book God has written about you and all your sins.

Want to know something? There is only one way you can get rid of what’s written in that book, and that is through what 1 John 1:7 tells us: “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.” The moment we trust the Lord Jesus Christ as our Saviour, our sins are gone forever! He blots them out of His book: “I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins” (Isaiah 44:22).

I trusted the Lord Jesus Christ as my Saviour in 1945, and I have been ready for heaven ever since, because my sins are blotted out!

Are you asking, “What about the wolf, Grampa? What about the wolf?”

Gramma whispered to me, “What is it?”

I replied quietly, “It’s a wolf.”

Wow! I wasn’t ready for what happened next. She was so startled that she yelled ever so loud! And that wolf took off like an arrow across the snow. Boy, did it run! It just melted away in the moonlight. And Chelsea? She didn’t even see it. She was busy chasing rabbits.

Bye bye for now, children.

We love you all,

Gramma and Grampa

Pets Don't Live Forever

Dear Boys and Girls,

This letter will be a little different, because some of you have been asking about the pets we have had over the past years. Okay. We’ve had more than five, but that’s how many I will tell you about in this letter. You may have read stories about some of them in my earlier letters.

First of all, we did not buy a cat or a dog. They were given to us by people who were tired of looking after them or were selling their house and moving into an area where pets are not allowed. We were asked if we would be able to give these pets a good home. Needless to say, we did our very best to help these animals.

And so, along came Buttons, a very lovable and smart poodle. She lived fifteen years and had one puppy which we called Jake. He was a real rascal! We loved him too, but he developed cancer and died when he was six years old.

About then, a beautiful white Persian cat strayed into our barn. We don’t know where she came from, but she lived in that barn for seventeen years. We named her Snowflake, because she came to us in the winter.

Then we were given a big, strong Doberman dog. She was named Scarlett because she was a red Doberman. She was a very protective dog, and she lived to be fourteen years old.

And now we have Chelsea. You may have read my letter about how we got her. She is a wonderful companion, very smart and also very strong. She is six years old. You may ask, “Grampa, how long will Chelsea live?”

Someone else asked that very same question. It was a man who lived in Bible times. He asked, “How long have I to live?” (2 Samuel 19:34). Children, only God can answer that question. He has said in His Word that there is “a time to be born, and a time to die” (Ecclesiastes 3:2). So when that time comes for each of us to die, whether by sickness or accident, we must go to stand before God. None of us knows how soon that time will come, so we each need to be ready to meet God right now.

Do you wonder which pet we loved the most? We loved every one of them, and they loved us! You know, God loves you. Do you love Him? We think of that beautiful verse, “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). That verse tells us that God loves everybody in the whole world! Gramma and I love God. We both trusted the Lord Jesus as our Saviour many years ago, and when the time comes for us to leave this earth, we will go straight to heaven. We often sing a song that says, “I love Him better every day.”

Do you have a pet that you love? Maybe you have had one that died. Do you wonder what we do with all our pets when they die? Well, we have a very special place by the pine trees where we bury our pets that we have loved and cared for. Some of you have been here and have seen our pet graveyard, with the wooden crosses and the names of our pets on each one.

And that makes me think about a very special cross. It was only a few days before the Lord Jesus laid down His life on a cross at a place called Calvary when the people brought young children to Him. Did He tell them to go away? No! He loved children! He said, “Suffer [let] the little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God” (Mark 10:14). And He took them up in His arms, put His hands on them and blessed them! Can you imagine what it must have been like to be in the arms of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself! We sometimes sing, “Safe in the arms of Jesus.” Can all you boys and girls sing those words truthfully? We sure hope so!

Yes, Gramma and I loved our pets. They trusted us completely to look after them. And if you trust the Lord Jesus, He will do the same for you!

Lots of love,

Gramma and Grampa

The Unusual Babysitter

Dear Children,

Hello again from Grampa. I’m going to share a story with all of you about a mother cat, her kittens and a hen.

“Boy, Grampa, that’s a funny group!”

Yes, it sure is, but let me tell you how they all got along together. Oh ... by the way...Gramma and I hope that all you children get along happily together. Tell the truth now. No fighting? No arguing? No telling lies? You know, God our Father expects us to obey Him and not do those things which He has told us not to do. In Joshua 24:24 it says, “The people said unto Joshua, the Lord our God will we serve, and His voice will we obey.” Those are very serious words, aren’t they, children?

“Yes, Grampa, they are, and sometimes it’s hard to do.”

Well, children, it is hard to do, but ask the Lord Jesus to help you. With His help, you can do it.

Now then, this story takes place away up north where it is very cold with lots of snow, and the temperature can go as low as 40 degrees below zero! Now that is really, really cold!

There were five kittens born to this mother cat in the big barn where she lived along with other animals, including some chickens. When this mother cat had these kittens, there was still lots of snow outside and it was very cold. The mother cat had to leave these kittens at times to get something to eat ... maybe catch a mouse or two. So the kittens were left alone in the barn.

Now it just so happened that a mother hen saw these kittens and heard them mewing. They were cold with their mother gone. So the hen came over, spread her wings over the kittens, and kept them nice and warm. When the mother cat came back, the hen lifted her wings and let the baby kittens out so they could crawl back to their mother to keep warm and be fed.

Each time the mother cat left, the hen would come over and cover the kittens with her wings. This went on until the weather warmed up outside. Then the mother hen knew that the kittens did not need her anymore.

Wasn’t that kind of the hen to help the mother cat? She protected those kittens from the cold and kept them from freezing to death.

“Yes, Grampa, it sure was. God can make animals do anything He wants.”

Yes, children, our God can do anything. God used a big fish to swallow Jonah. God used a dove to bring a leaf to Noah, to let him know that it was safe to leave the ark. God used a donkey to speak to Balaam. And God also used two bears to punish some children who were making fun of Elisha.

We hope that you children never make fun of anyone. That hurts people. When the Lord Jesus saw Peter sinking in the water, He didn’t laugh at him. When Peter shouted out, “Lord, save me!” the Lord stretched out His hand and saved Peter.

Have you ever asked the Lord Jesus to save you from your sins? A man in the Bible shouted out, “What must I do to be saved?” The answer was, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31). And then it says he “rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.”

And so, dear children, these barnyard animals and birds sure give us a good example in caring for each other in time of need. The last Bible verse I want you to remember is found in Ephesians 4:32: “Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”

Lots of love to all you children,

Gramma and Grampa

The Canada Geese Come Back

Dear Boys and Girls,

Would you like to hear about the wild Canada geese that come to our creek every year? I know some of you have been here when these big, beautiful birds arrive in the spring. It is a wonderful sight! So for those who have never heard or seen them, I will try to tell you what it’s like. They usually arrive back in the middle of March, and lots of times the creek and pond are still covered with ice.

First, we hear them coming. We hear them calling, “HONK, HONK, HONK!” Then we see them ... sometimes ten, sometimes up to a hundred! What a sound and what a sight!

You know, children, God has given us ears to hear and eyes to see. Proverbs 20:12 Says, “The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the Lord hath made even both of them.” I hope that you are using your eyes and ears the right way and not in foolish things.

When these geese come in and land on the ice, Gramma and I always have a good laugh! As they land, they sit back on their tails, spread their wings out and slide along on the ice as if they are skiing! When they have all landed, I go to the barn and get a pail full of corn to feed them.

After flying about five hundred miles, the geese are very hungry. So I carry this bucket of corn down to the edge of the ice and then throw the corn out onto the ice. I call out to these geese and talk to them. Then I rattle the empty pail to let them know that there is food here for them. Some of these same geese come here every year, and they recognize the sound of the pail and know my voice. Then I make my way back up to the house where Gramma and I usually sit and look out the window at these lovely birds for about an hour. We marvel every year at God’s care of His creation, and we never get tired of it.

As the weather warms up, the ice will melt. Then I start feeding the geese on land. Each morning I take a pail of corn down to the creek and spread it around for them to eat. By this time, we only have thirty to forty left to feed as the rest have gone farther north. It takes about a week to ten days of talking to them and rattling the pail to tame them. Then I can walk among them and scatter the corn with them following me.

One morning I was late in feeding them, and when I opened the back door to go to the barn, they were standing by the door of the barn waiting for me to get their food! Amazing! Another morning I brought Gramma with me. Guess what happened? The geese swam out into the creek! As soon as she left, they came back. Do you know why? Because she is a stranger and the geese do not know her!

I thought about what the Lord Jesus said in John 10: “I am the good shepherd, and know My sheep, and am known [by My own]” (verse 14). “My sheep hear My voice ... and they follow Me” (verse 27). “A stranger will they not follow, but will [run away] from him; for they know not the voice of strangers” (verse 5). “I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish” (verse 28). Boys and girls, I give these hungry geese food to eat, but the Lord Jesus gives us eternal life!

“Do all the geese come in to eat corn, Grampa?”

I’m sad to say that some don’t. As much as I call, some will not come in out of the water. And the Lord Jesus has said sadly in John 5:40 that there are people who will not come to Him: “Ye will not come to Me, that ye might have life.”

Now, for you children who have never come to the Lord Jesus Christ for eternal life, He is calling to you as you read this letter. Don’t be like some of those geese who start to come in but turn back just before they get to the corn. The Lord Jesus is calling to you, “Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

And for you children who are already one of His sheep, do you remember He said that His sheep will run away from a stranger? That’s what you need to do! If a stranger comes to you and they do not read from the holy Bible and if it does not sound like the Shepherd’s voice, you run away as fast as you can! They do not have the words of eternal life!

Now then, children, thanks for reading this looooong letter.

Lots of love from

Gramma and Grampa

Watching for the Swallows

Dear Children,

Today Gramma and I stood outside near the barn, watching the swallows gathering together into flocks. They are getting ready to fly south. Winter is coming, and they will be leaving shortly on their long journey to their warmer, winter home many miles away. We are sorry to see them leave, but we know that when winter is over these beautiful birds will return.

“How do you know that, Grampa?”

Because the Bible tells us in Genesis 8:22 That “while the earth [remains], seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.” That means that we will always have spring, summer, autumn and winter while we’re living here on earth. And the Bible talks specifically about spring in Song of Solomon 2:11-12 when it says, “The winter is past, the rain [and snow] is over and gone; the flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the [turtledove] is heard in our land.” The birds do a lot of singing in the spring when they return, and it is often how they claim a nesting and feeding territory.

During the month of April, Gramma and I start watching for the swallows to return. We always play a little game to see who will be the first to see them when they come back. And once they are back, it isn’t long before those swallows are searching all over the barn to see where they will build their nests. Sometimes they will use last year’s nest.

Now I want you to remember that these are wild birds; they are not tame! All the while they are building their nests up high in the barn, I will sit out there and watch and talk to them. At first they don’t like my being there, but they gradually get used to me. It takes about ten days to two weeks.

“What do you say when you talk to them, Grampa?”

Oh, I usually say, “Welcome back ... we missed you. We hope you find lots of bugs to eat.” Or sometimes I’ll repeat Bible verses or sing a Sunday school song for them. This helps them know my voice. It gets to the point that when I go into the barn, I can get so close to them that if I stood on a step ladder, I could touch them ... but I have never tried that. It’s really fun to see three or four babies peeking over the nest and the parents sitting on each side of the nest watching me. Yes, I talk to them all the while I am in there, and they soon get to know I am their friend.

As Gramma and I watch and wait for these birds to return in the spring, we think of the Lord Jesus who came to this earth and was born in a manger at Bethlehem. He went through life talking to men and women about their sins and that they must have all their sins washed away or they can never live in heaven. Then He went to Calvary and took the punishment for the sins of every person who would trust in Him. He loves us and gave up His life for you and me, and after three days He rose from the dead and then went away — back up to heaven. Now listen to what He said: “I go [to] prepare a place for you. ... I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:2-3). And so He is coming again to take home to heaven all the people who have let Him wash their sins away! He doesn’t tell us when He is coming, but it could be today or tomorrow.

It’s just like Gramma and I know the swallows will be coming back, but we don’t know exactly when, so we keep watching for them. And oh what a thrill when we see our swallows circling the barn and then come in to land! After months of being away, they are back!

And Gramma and I are both watching for the Lord Jesus to come very soon ... maybe it will be today! We hope all you children are ready to go with Jesus when He comes. Are your sins washed away so that you are ready and watching for Him too? Gramma and I sure hope so.

We send lots of love,

Gramma and Grampa

From Grampa with Love: Volume 1

Table of Contents

Meet Grampa and Gramma

Jake and Snowflake

The Rescued Grasshopper

Reddy the Squirrel Takes a Chance

Smart Jake

Snowflake and the Bird

Mother Duck and the Seven Ducklings

Mr. Coyote and the Cat

Jake and the Mud Wasps

Grampa’s Bird Feeders

Margaret Was Only Nine Years Old

A Lesson From the Blue Jays

The Dog Named Bear

Would You Rescue a Wasp?

Momma Duck Talks to Mr. Petersen

Chantel and Lassie

Scarlett Disobeyed

The Baby Goose’s Mistake

Meet Chelsea

The Wolf and the Great Blue Heron

The Lightning Bolt

Chelsea Chased a WHAT?

Are You Afraid of Snakes?

The Bright Red Yo-Yo

Ducklings Obey Their Mother

What We Caught in the Trap

Pockets All Dressed up

The Spider and the Fly

Rylan’s Surprise

A Big Fish

Jonathan and Samson

A Winter’s Nighttime Walk

Pets Don't Live Forever

The Unusual Babysitter

The Canada Geese Come Back

Watching for the Swallows