Jewel # 119 (Aug 24, 2012)

"And they shall be Mine, saith the Lord of hosts,

in that day when I make up 

My Jewels."

(Malachi 3:17)

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To my dear grandchildren

The Paper Wasp

"How unsearchable are His judgments,

and His ways past finding out."

(Romans 11:33)

In the sunny days of early spring, the queen paper wasp comes out of hibernation to build a paper nest.  She usually attaches it under the eaves of a house or other building.  The wasp is equipped with strong jaws that she uses to chew old wood into a soft pulp.  This pulp, mixed with the juices in her mouth, produces a product much like the paper used to make newspaper.  She constructs the nest with this material.

Before making the living part of the nest, the queen cements a stem of the same material onto the underside of the eaves.  Then she begins building the nest, starting from the underside of the stem. She forms cells into rings that grow wider and wider, until the nest is completed.  Some nests are up to six inches wide.  As each six-sided cell is added, an egg is laid inside and cemented in place. The queen also deposits a little ball of nectar inside each cell.  It is attached next to the egg to provide food for the larva after it hatches. 

The wasp continues her work day after day, making paper for the cells and laying her eggs in the cells.  After the larva hatches from the egg, it remains attached to the side of the cell by its tail because it is not ready to fly.  By the time the larva finishes the ball of nectar, it is ready for bigger things to eat.  The queen and her workers then chew up cabbage worms and insects and feed this to the larva.  Thus these helpful wasps destroy large numbers of harmful insects.  In addition to food, water is brought to the larva by the worker wasps.  In hot weather the workers also cool the nest by fanning it with their wings and sometimes spraying it with water from their mouths.

Soon the larva is big enough to fill the cell.  It then spins a cap over the opening of its cell, forming a cocoon.  Later it breaks through this and comes out as a fully developed wasp.

We may wonder at the abilities of these little creatures.  Who taught then to manufacture "paper" and form it into nests?  How does the queen know how to cement the eggs and and nectar into place?  And how does she know when to put aside her nest building and find food for the larvae?  How do the larvae know how to spin their cocoons and cover the cells while going through the final process of becoming mature wasps?

Their ability to do these things did not come from experiments or a gradual development.  It came from God, the Creator of all things.  How wonderful to know Him not only as the Creator, but, more importantly, to know Him as your very own Lord and Saviour.

Love to you all,

Grandpa

Jewel # 118 (Aug 10, 2012)

"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,

Snails Can Be Beautiful

"He hath made everything beautiful in His time."

(Ecclesiastes 3:11)

Most of us do not think of snails as being beautiful but only as pests in our gardens.  It is true that many things in God's creation are outwardly unattractive to us, but God sees an inward beauty in them, sometimes visible to us only under a microscope.

Even the common garden snail has a rather pretty spiral house on its back.  The outside of its shell is skin-like, the middle is much thicker, and the inside is coated with a thin, smooth, shiny surface.  This shell has been designed by the Creator to provide a safe, comfortable home.

Among the thousands of kinds of snails in the world, some live on land, some in water, and many spend their lives in trees.  A number have very beautiful, valuable shells.  These include shells from some marine species with beautiful knobs, ridges and spirals.  Among these beauties are the cowrie and olive varieties, which are common in southern waters.  Hawaii and other Pacific islands have many tree snails with very pretty markings.

When the common garden snail hatches from its underground egg, it is fully formed, complete with a tiny shell.  It must immediately find food.  Although it it has poor eyesight, the Creator gave it a keen sense of smell by which it finds what it needs.  Its tiny tongue, which is covered with thousands of little hooks and sharp teeth, makes quick work of destroying tender plants and flowers - one reason why gardeners find them to be a real pest.

Another objection to snails is that they leave sticky trails behind them.  This trail, made by mucus from glands in a snail's body, makes a soft, elastic cushion that is moist and so tough that it can crawl over the sharp edge of a razor blade and not be cut!  This cushion has been supplied by the Creator to protect the soft underside of the snail from the dry, rough surfaces it crawls over.

But not everything about snails is objectionable.  Some people consider certain kinds to be very good food.  The shells of brightly coloured snails are made into jewelry, buttons and other decorative objects.  Also, there is one snail called the decollete that, instead of eating plants, kills and eats garden snails.  This one is a real friend to gardeners.

Can it be that the Lord God cares about little creatures like snails?  Yes He does, for the Bible tells us that "the Lord is good to all: and His tender mercies are over all His works" (Psalm 145:9).

But more than this, He has a special care for each person who has accepted the Lord Jesus as his very own Lord and Saviour and has trusted in His work on Calvary's cross to take away his sins.  Jesus says, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish" (John 10:27-28).  Is He your Good Shepherd?             

Love,

Grandpa

Jewel # 117 (July 29, 2012)

"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,

Crafty Ginger

The family had enjoyed a delicious dinner of fried chicken.  The children wiggled and shifted on their chairs as they waited.  They, as well as their dog Ginger, knew the routine - a chapter read from the Bible and prayer after the meal.  Petted and spoiled as she was, Ginger had some manners.  She sat during the dinner fairly patiently, only now and then licking her chops and whining softly to let them know she was there.  After dinner the table was cleared, the chicken bones collected in a paper bag and everything taken into the kitchen.

At last the family kneeled down for prayer.  In an instant, Ginger was heard padding across the kitchen floor right to the bag of bones.  Rattle, rattle, crunch, crunch!  Ginger paused and scampered back into the dining room for a peek.  Yes, still on their knees!  She hurried back to the bones before prayer time, her "safe time," was over.  Naughty Ginger!

"She thinks she's a person" laugher one of the children.  "She acts like a bad girl!"

We smile at Ginger's crafty trick which got her a good scolding.  But are not our own ways just as foolish?  Can we hide a lie or naughty deed from God?  "The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good" (Proverbs 15:3).     

Ginger's family chuckled at her tricks, but does God think our sinful ways are funny?  "Fools make a mock at sin" (Proverbs14:9).  There are no "cute little sins."  Our loving Saviour had to bleed an die for every single sin.  When this lesson was realized by one little girl we know, she exclaimed, "Oh, Mommy!  Did He do that for ME?"  Have you understood this wonderful truth that He died for you?  Have you come to the Lord Jesus to have your sins washed away?

Love you all,

Grandpa 

Jewel # 116 (July 15, 2012)

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,

A Spring Calamity

When we were visiting with some of our family in early spring, we were fascinated by a robin's nest very close to their kitchen window.  The mother and  father robin took turns sitting on the nest.  Soon the eggs hatched and the parents started bringing food to the hatched babies.  All day long they were very carefully feeding their tiny babies that only had a little fuzz on them.  In time, real feathers would develop and grow, as the babies grew bigger.

Before we left for home a week later, we could see that the babies had grown quite a bit.  They had their little beaks up in the air, wide open and waiting to receive food.

About a week after we had been home, I was talking to our daughter on the phone and asked her about the baby birds.  "Did the little robins learn to fly yet?"

"Oh," she said, "the most terrible thing happened this morning when I was watching them.  A big, black crow landed on the robins' nest and picked up all three baby robins in its beak and flew away with them!  I'm so glad the children were in school, as they would have been terribly upset!"

This was a terrible calamity, especially when the mother and father robin had taken such good care of their babies.  It makes us sad to think about it.  But those of us who read the Bible know that when Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, the results of their sin affected not only all people born into the world ever after, but it also affected all of God's beautiful creation, including the plants and all creatures.  As a result, many creatures in the wild now kill to eat, including crows, and God sees it all.  But He also sees the little sparrow  that might be in trouble.

"Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your 

Father . . . Fear ye not therefore, you are of more value than many sparrows."

(Matthew 10:29,31) 

There was not much that could be done to help the poor mother and father robins.  But you and I have a loving Father in heaven who sees and knows everything that happens to you, and me too, and He cares.  He loves us so much that He is willing to help us,  no matter what the problem might be.  He wants us to call to Him when we need His help, even though He has already seen our problem.  He says, "Before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear" (Isaiah 65:24).  And how good it is for us to thank Him right away too, because we know He is going to help us.      

I love you all,

Grandpa

Jewel # 115 (July 8, 2012)

       

"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,

The Giant Panda

"Known unto God are all His works from the beginning of the world."

(Acts 15:18)

There are two varieties of pandas, but they are very different from each other.  The lesser panda is small and raccoon-like with long, reddish-brown fur and a long, ringed tail.  Its home is in the Himalayan Mountains near India.  The more interesting panda looks like a big stuffed toy and seems like a cross between a bear and a raccoon.  This one is the giant or great panda.  It also lives in the high Himalayas along the border of China and Tibet.

The giant panda has a round, white head with jet-black ears and nose and black circles around its eyes that look like they've been painted on.  It looks cuddly and is loved by people everywhere.  When fully grown, it is almost five feet long and almost two feet high at the shoulder - about the size of a small bear with just a stump of a tail.  The cubs are especially cute and lovable, and their mothers carefully watch them.

There are five kinds of bamboo that they will eat.  They seem to know which parts of these plants have the most food value.  At certain seasons they eat just the leaves and stalks and at other seasons only the plant stems.  Having big appetities, they munch on about a hundred pounds of bamboo every day.

Living in such a small area in this remote part of the world, pandas usually hide when people approach, so they are not seen on the wild very often.  The Chinese people love them and are concerned because they may become extinct.

In 1972 the Chinese wanted to send a complimentary git to the President of the United States.  They selected a pair of these animals and shipped them to the Washington, D.C. zoo.  To help preserve these lovable animals, arrangements were made to place more of them in zoos in other cities as well, and this has helped to multiply their numbers.

Although most people did not know about the great Panda for many years, it has always been under the watchful care of its Creator, as the opening verse of this article tells us.  Another Bible verse says: "Neither is there any creature that is not manifest [displayed] in His sight" (Hebrews 4:13). 

If God thinks about and cares for animals in far-off remote mountains, just think how much more He must care for you.  This care is shown by His great love to all people in sending His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, into the world to "give His life a ransom for many" (Matthew 20:28).  If you will come to Him as a sinner and tell Him you are sorry for your sins and accept Him as your Saviour, you will become His very own forever.  If you have not done this as yet, He invites you to come to Him today.  

Did you know a newborn panda is 900 times smaller than its mother. 

Love you all

Grandpa

Jewel # 114 (June 24, 2012)

"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,

Tommy's Rescue

Tommy had spent a week at a day camp and had heard how God loved him and had sent His Son Jesus to die for him.  Even though he was just nine years old, Tommy decided to trust Jesus as his Saviour.  He believed that on the cross Jesus had taken the punishment he deserved for his sins.

Some weeks later, Tommy was at a lake with his family and was so happy to discover he could go out alone in a canoe.  He had learned how to paddle it and get back to the dock by himself.  So one afternoon while his dad sat on the dock reading, Tommy headed off in the canoe.  A wind suddenly came up, and the water became rough with waves.  Hard as he tried, the canoe refused to turn in the direction he wanted it to go.  Instead, he found himself being blown farther and farther away from the shore.

Now Tommy was really scared and started to cry.  But his dad, not realizing what was happening, never looked up from his reading, and Tommy was out too far for his calls to be heard.  

But all was not lost.  Tommy thought about what he had learned at the day camp.  He remembered that God loved him and would hear his prayer.  So he stopped crying and prayed that God would make someone see him before the waves took the canoe out of sight.

Did God answer his prayer?

His sister was in the cottage and suddenly decided to go see where Tommy was.  Searching the water, she finally saw him far away on the other side of the lake.  She quickly told the family where he was.  They got a boat and followed him across the choppy lake and rescued Tommy from his scary adventure.

Tommy was happy to tell his family that after he had prayed he was not scared any more.  He knew God would send someone for him.  Isn't it great that God hears the prayers of children, as well as older ones, who call upon Him?  In the Bible we have a wonderful promise from God:  "Call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me" (Psalm 50:15).  Tommy probably will never forget his lesson of how God answered his prayer.

I love you all,

Grandpa

Jewel # 113 (June 10, 2012)

Stradivarius Violin                                   Antonio Stradivari

Carved Model

"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,

Diligence

Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth

 not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."

(2 Timothy 2:15)

The story is told of a young Italian boy who lived some centuries ago.  His name was Antonio and he loved music.  Sadly, whenever he tried to sing the music that was in his heart, it sounded so bad that all his friends laughed at him.  Next to singing, even though Antonio could not play the violin, he dearly loved to hear violin music played by a master.

Antonio always carried a pocket knife with him and though he couldn't do his two favorite things - sing or play the violin - at a young age he began to whittle wood objects.  Before long he became quite an artist.

One day Antonio learned that the greatest master violin maker in all Italy, the great Nicolo Amati, had moved to his village and set up his work shop there!  An excited Antonio began to whittle a small wooden violin.  He worked for many painstaking hours and created a beautiful model of a violin.  Though shy, Antonio greatly desired to present his carved wooden violin to the great violin maker as a sign of his respect and awe of the master who had moved to his village.

It took quite a bit of time for Antonio to work up the courage to go to the Master's house.  Finally one day, Antonio, with trembling hands and pounding heart walked down the street to the great man's home and workshop.  He tremblingly tapped on the door expecting a servant to answer his hesitant knock.

Antonio was very surprised when the master violin maker, Amati himself, opened he door.  Antonio hesitatingly offered the beautiful little carved violin he had made.  He told the master, "Sir, I love music, but I cannot sing.  I specially love to hear violin music, though I cannot play a violin well.  But I do wish with all my heart that I might learn to make violins."

The great master violin maker Amati smiled as he carefully studied the small gift.  Then he said, "This is beautifully done!  So you want to make violins?  Well you shall!  In time your violins will be the equal of mine and they will make beautiful music!"

And so it was that young Antonio Stradivari became the pupil of Nicole Amati and in time did indeed create the highly treasured Stradivarius Viloins. 

I love you all,

Grandpa