Jewel # 297 (Sept. 29, 2017)

“And they shall be Mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I 

make up MY JEWELS.”

(Malachi 3:17)

To my dear grandchildren

Stay Away From Killer Bees

“I would seek unto God, and unto God would I commit my cause who

doeth great things . . . marvellous things without number.”

(Job 5:8-9)

Most people are familiar with honeybees. They are very useful in pollinating flowers, fruit tree blossoms and other plant life, as well as being the source of delicious honey.  They, as well as wasps and other insects, are all an important part of God’s creation.  

However, in attempting to develop or improve certain characteristics of particular creatures, breeders sometimes interfere with the plan God has made for these creatures, and that is almost certain to lead to trouble.

Sad to say, that’s how killer bees have become a serious problem in areas of South and Central America.  About 1950, some were brought to Brazil from their natural, God-given African homes. Beekeepers wanted to crossbreed them with honey bees of Brazil so they would produce greater amounts of honey, and then the beekeepers would make larger profits.  But, unknown to breeders at that time, it was a serious mistake.

There are thousands of species of bees in the world, but only honey bees make honey and wax that man can use.  And there are only four kinds of honeybees: the German, the Western, the European and the African.  Each species lives in its own geographical location with a particular nature best suited to its surroundings.  

The bees in Africa, for instance, have different circumstances to cope with in the wild life of that country than the Western bees have.  African bees defend themselves by flying  together in huge, angry swarms and attacking their enemies with hundreds of stings. 

The unwise cross breeding experiments in Brazil resulted in a new type of bee called “killer bees.”

These are actually a cross between African and the Western honeybees, with a few German honeybees also included.  These killer bees attack in large masses when bothered and annoyed, and many animals and even people have been killed by their many stings since these experiments started.

Since 1985, these vicious bees have gradually worked their way northward into Mexico and even into the southern parts of the United States.  It does not appear that they will be a serious problem farther north.  That’s because they prefer the warmer climates of the south, similar to the climates of Africa and South America.

This tragic experiment and resulting trouble should remind all of us that only God’s ways are perfect, and men should be very careful before making changes in them.  How much better it would be for each of us to follow what the beginning Bible verse says and to remember Psalm 25:4-5:  

“Show me Thy ways, O Lord; teach me Thy paths. Lead me in Thy truth, 

and teach me: for Thou art the God of my salvation.”   

Love you all - Grandpa

Jewel # 296 (Sept. 19, 2017)

“And they shall be Mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up “MY JEWELS.”

(Malachi 3:17)

To my dear grandchildren 

Two Tropical Iguanas

“I will speak of the glorious honour of Thy majesty, and of Thy wondrous works.”

(Psalm 145:5)

Iguanas belong to the lizard family and are found throughout the deserts, forests and waters of the world.  Most iguanas look like miniature dragons but are actually shy and not a threat to people.  A mature one will weigh as much as ten pounds and may be six feet long or longer, including its tail.

The tropical green iguana makes its home among the trees from Panama to Brazil.  it also looks like a miniature dragon with its sharp claws and spine sticking up all along its back.  This one is also shy and hides when anyone cones near.   Except when hunting food it likes to stretch out on the branch of a tall tree and enjoy the sun.  It looks so much like the bark of the native trees that it is difficult to spot unless it is moving.

The main food of this iguana is wild fruit and tender leaves and shoots found high in tall trees.  Little ones are hatched from eggs laid by the female in a hole she has dug in the sand or ground.  Soon after hatching, she takes her young up into a tall tree where they feel right at home and live up there until nearly full grown.  They eat leaves and buds and drink water from cup-like leaves holding rainwater.  The parents often spend time with their young in the trees, but they gather much of their food down on the ground where they can quickly escape if anything dangerous appears.

Natives in those tropical areas have discovered that iguanas are good to eat.  As a result, it has been necessary to pass laws limiting the amount of hunting that can be done.  However, farmers are allowed to raise them on their own properties and sell them to meat markets, where they receive a good price.  Iguana meat tastes so good it is sometimes nicknamed “chicken of the trees.”

A contrasting species is the Galapagos marine iguana, somewhat larger and heavier than those found in deserts and forests.  Groups of these may vary in colour, but their leather-like bodies are most often brownish-black or gray.  Their skin is coarse and fierce-looking with fleshy upright spikes from the top of their heads to the end of their tails.

Large groups of this species will cling to the steep, rough rocks rising above low tides of the ocean beaches and feast on seaweed and other marine plants that grow there.  They are good swimmers.

Are you one of the happy people who believes and trusts the Lord God who created all things?  A Bible verse says, “Give thanks unto the Lord, and call upon His name” 

(1 Chronicles 16:8).  Is this something you do?

Love you all - Grandpa

Jewel # 295 (Sept. 2, 2017)

“And they shall be Mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up MY JEWELS.”

(Malachi 3:17)

To my dear grandchildren

An Alarm Clock in the Ocean?

The Grunion

“The voice of the Lord is upon the waters. . . . The Lord is upon many waters.

The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.”

(Psalms 29:3-4)

Unusually high tides reach Southern California beaches from March through July each year.  When these extreme tides are due in the third or fourth night of the full moon, schools of grunion, a small, edible fish, swim into the surf and allow themselves to be washed ashore on a sandy beach—but not until the highest wave of the incoming tide has passed.

Ashore on the bare sand, females scoop out shallow holes with their tails where they lay hundreds of eggs.  The males follow quickly and fertilize the eggs, and then the females give a final swish of their tails to cover the eggs with sand.  This all has been accomplished within thirty seconds!  Then they all wiggle down the beach to be swept into the ocean by the next wave.

But how about the eggs?  How can they hatch in such a hastily made and strange nest?  The grunion have been well directed by their Creator in their timing, for no wave will reach the eggs until the next extremely high tide in another two weeks.  This amount of time in warm, moist sand provides ample incubation.  When a high wave finally reaches them, the eggs pop open and the little fish are washed into the sea to begin their lives.

This annual event is so reliable that the hour and minute can be foretold.  People flock to the beaches to witness it, some of them catching the fish in their hands.

Is there an alarm clock that tells the grunion just the precise moment to ride in on the highest wave?  And how do they know where the sandy beaches are?  If any mistakenly went to a rocky one, they would be pounded to pieces.  Their instructions come from their Creator, and there is no possibility that this pattern will change.  How carefully God watches over all His creatures.

After sin came into the world, all things were affected, so that today we do not see anything in perfection, but we do see something of His might and wisdom even in lowly creatures like the grunion.  A time is coming when all will be made right again:  “Behold, I create new heavens and a new earth” (Isaiah 65:17).  But before that takes place, there must be God’s judgment on this sinful world and all in it who have not had their sins forgiven through faith in Jesus Christ “who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity” (Titus 2:14).

How important it is to listen to the warning: “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not” (Ecclesiastes 12:1).   

Love you all - Grandpa