Jewel # 140 (June 12, 2013)

These pictures were taken at Uncle Arnie & Auntie Orpha's cottage at Kenora, Ontario

To my dear grandchildren,  

Baby Eagles and Bible Verses

Did you ever see baby eagles in a nest?  It is not likely, because eagles make their nests high up in tall trees or on power-line towers.

Someone mounted a video camera that took pictures of an eagle's nest.  We could see it on our computer.  The nest is made of sticks and twigs, with moss inside to make it comfortable.  There were two eaglets, as baby eagles are called.  When the little eaglets tried to stand, they fell over.  They were too weak to stand, but they were hungry.

Then as we watched, two big eagles landed on the nest.  Father and mother eagle came to the nest with some meat in their talons - talons are claws on their feet.  Since the eaglets were so small, they could only eat little pieces of the food.  The parent eagles, using their big hooked beaks, carefully pulled pieces off the meat held in their talons.  Pieces small enough for the babies to swallow were offered to them.  The babies quickly took the pieces in their beaks and swallowed them.  The mother and father birds kept pulling off small pieces and giving them to their babies.  The little ones ate all that was given to them.

Now what has this to do with Bible verses?  As I watched the eagles being fed, it made me think of the verses that children in Sunday School learn when they are very young - short verses like "God is light" (1 John 1:5) and "God is love" (1 John 4:8).  Every verse in the Bible is important.

When the eagles grew, the mother gave them bigger pieces to eat.  Later they were able to tear off the meat for themselves.  So older boys and girls in Sunday School are able to learn some longer verses.  Your moms and dads help you to learn these verses.  Later you can lean them for yourselves without your parents' help.

After awhile those eagles will be taught to catch their own food.  What does that mean to you?  It means that you will grow and be able to read God's Word for yourself.  It is a good habit to form.  Read your Bible every day and think about what you have read.

An old man in a nursing home had such poor eyesight that he could no longer read.  He knew many Bible verses.  He told me he had leaned them when he was young.  

What would happen if an eagle quit hunting for food?  It would starve to death, right?  If you want a happy Christian life, keep on reading the Word of God as you grow up.  Then don't stop because you are an adult.  We all need this "food" everyday of our lives!

"The entrance of Thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple."

(Psalm 119:130)

Love you all

Grandpa

Jewel # 139 (June 2, 2013)

To my dear grandchildren

The Ungainly Hyena

"Neither is there any creature that is not visible in His sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do." 

(Hebrews 4:13)

There are many hyenas throughout Africa.  The largest is the one with the fiendish howl that sounds like a hysterical human laugh.  It is known as the spotted or laughing hyena.  It is about 6 feet long and weighs around 150 pounds.

The hyena is an unattractive animal, having yellowish-brown, coarse hair with black spots.  Its short head with big, erect ears is large in proportion to its body.  Its long, thick neck, muscular shoulders and long, muscular front legs make the front of its body larger and much stronger than the back, which tapers down on shorter hind legs to a stubby tail

Other species of hyenas include the brown and the striped hyenas.  Both are somewhat smaller than the spotted.  Aside from their differences in appearance, they all have much in common.  No other animal on earth has such powerful jaws and strong teeth that can quickly tear flesh and crush bones.  They can crush bones as thick as baseball bats as easily as you would break a stick of peppermint candy.  They are all scavengers, and their food preference is a dead animal that has started to decay.  If they find jackals, cheetahs or other small predators eating an animal they have killed, the hyenas will chase them away and steal the carcass.  However, they will not attempt to chase away lions, because the lions would kill them instead.

In the hottest season, which often reaches 120 degrees in the shade most of the big game migrates elsewhere, so the hyenas have to be satisfied with catching hares, rodents, snakes and birds.  During such dry spells with no water around, the only moisture they usually get is from their freshly killed prey.  Sometimes, however, they find a patch of wild melons to quench their thirst.  Some may question what purpose hyenas serve in God's creation.  Like the vultures that often quarrel with them over a dead animal, they perform an important service in disposing of decaying flesh that spreads disease.  This is part of God's way in having His creation take care of a serious problem.

However, the services of hyenas will not always be needed.  Speaking of a future time, the Bible says, "Behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind" (Isaiah 65:17).  This refers to the coming time after those who are saved through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ have been taken to heaven, and judgment later falls on the rest of the world.  Following those events, the world will be made perfect again, and no sin shall exist.  Will you be among those in heaven looking down on this lovely and peaceful scene?

Love you all,

Grandpa      

Jewel # 138 (May 26, 2013)

"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 Loggerhead Turtle

"By Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth. 

 . . . All things were created by Him, and for Him."

(Colossians 1:16) 

If you were on a Caribbean Island beach some dark night in early spring or late summer, you might become aware of a number of large creatures coming out of the surf.  They drag themselves with much effort over the sand, higher and higher, until they are above the highest tidewater mark.  These are female loggerhead turtles, and each weighs close to 500 pounds.

Soon each one is busily scooping sand with her flippers, making a hole about seven inches wide and almost two feet deep.  After an hour of this tiresome work, she will rest awhile, then place herself over this nest and begin depositing her eggs one at a time every few seconds.  Usually one to two hundred are deposited and look like ping-pong balls.

Next she scoops the sand back into the hole and pats it down firmly.  Then she scatters the excess sand over the area, making it look so natural that no one would suspect there was a nest of turtle eggs underneath.  If you could get closer, you might see tears running from her eyes.  This is a provision God gave these turtles for washing the sand out of their eyes.  When the job is complete, she returns to the sea, soon disappearing in the waves.

In about two months the eggs will hatch.  Before hatching, each baby turtle develops an "egg tooth" on the end of its nose.  This is used to break out of the shell.  It might seem they would die in their nest deep in the sand, but they work their way to the top, which might take several days.  As the baby turtles come to the surface, they run as fast as they can to the ocean.  Since they are only about the size of a silver dollar, they must run fast, because there are many creatures waiting to eat them.  Birds, crabs, rats and other enemies chase after them, so that very few of these baby turtles make it across the sand alive.  In the water there are sharks, fish of all kinds and more birds.  Perhaps only six out of the whole nest manage to survive.  In five to eight years, survivors reach full size.  Then they are safe from natural enemies and live to an old age.

For most of us, our lives are not as full of danger as these creatures' lives are.  God has graciously provided many benefits for each of us and cares for us most lovingly.  He knows all our needs and activities too.  It is written in the Bible, "Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee" (Ecclesiastes 11:9).  This is followed by the instruction, "Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not" (Ecclesiastes 12:1).  What excellent God-given advice this is for us to follow.

Love you all,

Grandpa  

Jewel # 137 (May 11, 2013)

To my dear grandchildren,

The Gentle Tapir

"I have made the earth, the man and the beast . . .  

by My great power and by My outstretched arm."

(Jeremiah 27:5)

If you were in the wilds of Central America, South America or Southeast Asia and found yourself face-to-face with a strange brown animal known as the tapir, the first thing you probably would notice would be that it looks much like an overgrown pig.  It has a short, heavy body with a short tail, a thick neck and a nose that serves as a short movable trunk.  All tapirs have oval-shaped ears with white tips.  

It would be a special treat if a baby tapir were there too.  They are really cute, weighing only about 15 pounds when born and having white stripes all along their backs and sides for God-given camouflage purposes.

If you didn't show any sign of wanting to hurt the tapir, you would find it wouldn't hurt you either.  The Creator has given it a shy and gentle nature, and they would rather run than fight.  Their food includes twigs and leaves of trees and shrubs, water plants, grass and fruit, and they never kill another animal unless in self-defense.

These animals stay close to their homes but make paths through the thick jungle.  Some lead to water holes, which they visit morning and evening, enjoying a swim and wallowing in the mud to get rid of ticks and other pests.  They sometimes walk along the bottom of these ponds completely submerged.

Their only enemy is the fearsome jaguar.  However, when a jaguar springs on a tapir, it is taken on an unexpected, rough ride ride through low brush where it will usually be knocked off.  But if it hangs on, the tapir will jump into deep water, submerging beneath the surface.  At that point the jaguar gives up and the tapir is the winner.

Tapirs remind us of the great variety of animals placed on earth by the Creator and His untiring care and provisions for all.  We know, however, that that the lives of animals are for this world only, but God has given to each of us a never-dying soul and provided a way in  which that life can be spent happily in heaven with Him.

A few verses from the Bible explain this.  First, we need to understand clearly that "all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).  That is a tragic statement, but thankfully we are told, "God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). We also read this wonderful statement: "Being justified by faith [in the Lord Jesus as our Saviour], we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:1).

If you want that peace and everlasting life in heaven, believe these important Bible verses.  

Love you all,

Grandpa

Jewel # 136 (April 27, 2013)

                

To my dear grandchildren,

Birds on Schedule - Swallows

"Yea, the sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow a nest

for herself, where she may lay her young."

(Psalm 84:3)

It's springtime here in North America, and let's watch for those pretty, graceful cliff swallows returning agin in their colourful feathers of brown, red, yellow and white.  Through the winter they have been in South America, but their God-given instinct brings them back, thousands of miles, to many parts of North America for nest building, raising of young, and an active life in the northern climate.

Cliff swallows look like their relatives, the barn swallows, but cliff swallows have square tails instead of forked tails.  Their legs are short, and they use them mostly for perching since they catch nearly all of their food while flying.  

The reliability of the cliff and barn swallows' annual return on certain calendar days is a signal to farmers when to plant certain crops.  They know swallows are among their best friends because they help destroy harmful crop insects and mosquitoes.

Cliff and barn swallows like to live near people, either on nearby cliffs, under bridges, or under the eaves of houses and barns.  These birds are sociable, and they build their interesting nests in colonies.  Muddy clay is the building material mixed with gluey saliva and straw.  A  beakful at a time is daubed on the surface they have chosen.  Then one beakful after another is added until the jar-shaped nests extend out five or six inches, with open entrances on the tapered ends.  The insides are lined with feathers and grass, providing a soft, safe place for females to lay three to nine eggs.

The nests in a colony actually touch each other.  Watching a swallow swiftly flying in and out, it is amazing how it avoids entering a neighbour's nest.  But no mistakes are made.  The Lord God who first placed them on the earth has given them remarkable instincts and and abilities in their swift flight patterns.

The mouth of the cliff swallow is an example of how every bird in God's creation is well equipped for its manner of life.  The swallow has been given a short, broad beak that opens wide to scoop up insects in flight and to dig and carry mud for nest building.  It will fly several miles from the nesting site searching for food.  Its wings show the Creator's wisdom too.  They are long and flexible and enable the swallow to make its graceful diving-and-turning flight as it pursues its food.

But God has not only shown His care over animals and birds.  In addition to His care and provisions for wildlife, He extends His love to all mankind.  This was most wondrously shown when He gave His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to die on Calvary's cross to provide forgiveness of sins to all who will accept Him as their Saviour.  Have you thanked Him for His love to you?  

Much love to you all

Grandpa

Jewel # 135 (April 11, 2013)

To my dear grandchildren,

The Bad-Tempered Camel

"The multitude of camels . . . and the dromedaries . . . shall come.  . . . 

Their riders shall show forth the praises of the Lord."

(Isaiah 60:6)

A camel is not a pretty animal, nor is it know for its good behaviour.  It is one of the most awkward of all domestic animals and among the most difficult to manage.  It has several bad habits, such as biting people or animals and spitting on strangers.  Still, this animal is very useful to desert dwellers, where it is known as "the ship of the desert."

The Arabian camel, sometimes called a dromedary, has only one hump, but the Bactrian species has two.  These humps serve a very useful purpose.  When the animal is well fed, the humps store fat and stand erect and firm.  As it travels across the desert  without food for several days, the camel can absorb the nourishment stored in these humps.  Then the humps shrink and become flabby.  But when the camel feeds again, the humps resume their proper shape.

Camels can go without water for days or even months, depending upon the time of year.  They need less water in cooler months  but will drink five gallons a day in hot weather.  They also get some moisture from their food.

There are many ways the Lord has made special provisions for this large animal.  Each foot has two wide, smooth, hard pads so it can walk easily on hot sand.  At rest periods, it folds its front legs, dropping its forepart to the sand.  Then it folds its long hind legs, and the whole body drops down.  Its knees and chest, which would be painfully scraped by the sand in the process have been given thick, hard pads for protection.

During sandstorms, men cover their faces with cloths to  survive, but a camel needs no special care.  An extra lid, heavy eyebrows and long lashes protect its eyes, while its large nostrils automatically close to narrow slits to keep the sand out. 

The special needs of this peculiar animal were all provided for from the very beginning by an all-wise Creator.  Without this care, they would never have survived in the harsh deserts.

As we think about how the camel's special needs have been taken care of, it is a reminder that God has made a promise to those who love Him.  To those who trust in His Son, the Lord Jesus, He has promised to "supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19).  This assures us that there is no limit to what He can do for every boy and girl, man and woman.

He delights in all His creatures, but to mankind He has made special provisions, not only for this world, but also for the world to come.  He has given the promise of eternal life in heaven to all who accept His Son as Lord and Saviour.

Have you accepted this wonderful gift?

(Note the picture below of grandpa)

Love you all

Grandpa

Jewel # 134 (April 2, 2013)

            

"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 Colorful Parrot Fish

"Thy way is in the sea, and Thy path in the great waters. . . . 

The sea is His, and He made it." 

(Psalm 77:19; 95:5)

The interesting parrot fish received its name because of its bright green and red colors and its parrot-like jaw.  Great schools of a million or more live in southern oceans.

This fish has about fifty bluish-white teeth that are so strong it can pull apart and chew hard, brittle coral to get at the tasty algae found in it.  A mature parrot fish chews enough coral each year to make thirty pounds of sand.   Over the centuries this has resulted in many pretty sandy beaches along the shores of Australia and other countries.  But, sad to say, much beautiful, valuable coral is destroyed by these fish since they do not distinguish between rare, priceless coral and ordinary varieties.  

In June the parrot fish have a strong urge to leave the quiet, shallow, protected reef where thy live and swim into areas where the water is 80 feet deep or deeper.  They  join millions of their kind there that have obeyed the same God-given instinct.  They all become excited, and soon they are swimming violently around until, as if by a signal, all dash to the surface and them immediately turn and swim down toward the bottom.  As they descend, the females release millions of eggs that the males cover with a substance called milt.

This same event is repeated many times by different groups at these spawning places.  Soon it is over and the group breaks up, all going back to the quiet waters of their homes and leaving innumerable masses of eggs to hatch out later in the open sea.

One variety of this fish blows a cocoon of mucous around itself at night, carefully leaving small holes for breathing.  This gives it an appearance of having been carefully wrapped in a silk blanket, which it discards in the morning.  This process is repeated each night.  Although it is uncertain why this variety does this, it may be a provision made by the Creator for protection from night-prowling enemies.

Does the Lord God, their Creator, care about parrot fish?  Yes He does, for the Bible tells us, speaking of all the fish in seas, "These wait all upon Thee, that Thou mayest give them their food in due season.  That Thou givest them they gather: Thou openest Thine hand, they are filled with good" (Psalm 104:27-28).

We also know from the Bible that in greater measure His love has been shown to all the people of the world.  The psalmist joyfully said, "How precious also are Thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!  If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand" (Psalm 139:17-18).  We should gratefully thank Him every day for His wonderful love and care over us.

Love you all,

Grandpa