Easter in the Garden
Value: Easter – The Resurrection of Christ
Amy and Amber loved Easter. They loved the pretty dresses and hats they got to wear and all the ladies at church wore. They loved the story of Jesus rising from the dead and the flowers and the candy and of course, the Easter Bunny and Easter egg hunts. Usually on Saturday, they went to the one in Central Park with all the kids. Mommy and Daddy always hid lost of eggs all over the house and in the garden.
One of Amy and Ambers favorite things to do is to get up really early on Easter morning and go out in the garden and find all the eggs Mommy and Daddy hid there last night before their parents ever even got up. They always surprised Mommy and Daddy with full baskets of Easter eggs already gathered before they even woke up.
This year they did extra good because Amy and Amber got up just before the sun came up. The quickly got into their Easter robes and slippers and tried to be quiet for all the giggling as they slipped into the garden. Mommy kept a huge garden that had rows and rows of flowers and plants and paths that went back to some land Daddy used to dump the trimmings when he mowed the lawn. Amy searched for eggs around the lily pond and Amber near the Azalea bushes when Amber suddenly called to her twin sister.
“Amy come here. I have never seen this path before.” Amy ran to her sister and saw what she had found. It was a new path but it didn’t look new. It looked very old because it was laid in with huge granite stones and it rose like it was going up a hill which none of the others did. Amber was a little nervous about following the strange path but before she knew it Amy started stepping up the stones and moving further up the hill so Amber joined her. Both were very curious about this Easter mystery.
The path wound around and twisted but it was always an uphill climb until suddenly it leveled out and they were in a clearing. “What is this place Amber?” whispered Amy and the girls held hands as they bravely explored further. As they walked in tiny little steps, suddenly Amber stopped.
“Look at that.” She said and Amy saw what she saw. It was a huge cave and there was a massive stone lying on the ground and there was stuff lying around like someone had been here and run away. Just then, the sun peeked over the eastern horizon and at that same exact moment, a light burst from the cave door that was brighter than the sunrise. “Amy,” Amber said with a frightened, shy whisper, “do you think this is the….”
“I don’t know Amber.” Amy whispered back “Let’s go see.”
Slowly they inched forward until they were at the opening of the cave. They peeked around and there He was. Sitting on the edge of a large slab looking at his hands and praying, dressed all in white with strips of grave wrapping lying at his feet, he was preparing to stand up.”
“Jesus?” Amber said in awe, shock and feeling the love she had for him come up. As she said that, Jesus looked at her and smiled a smile that made them know it could only be him and that the love of God was bursting from him.
“Hello Amy and Amber.” He said in his soft loving voice. Then he extended his arms. “Come see me.”
The twins ran to their Savior and jumped into his arms. “Jesus did you just get rose from the dead?” Amy said kissing the backs of his hands.
“Yes Amy.” Jesus answered and they felt the joy that was in him flowing to them. For what seemed like hours he talked to them about how much he loved them and how much he loved his disciples and all sinners and that he came to earth to take everyone who loved him to Heaven.
“Now girls, I must go see my disciples. I want you to go back down the hill to your parents and then go out and tell everyone you know about what you saw here and that I rose from the dead to give them eternal life so they will never die. Promise?”
“WE PROMISE JESUS” and they kissed him and they ran out of the cave passing two ladies who were coming up the path. Then they ran all the way home and there was mommy making her special Easter breakfast. But Amy and Amber never forgot to tell everyone about Jesus and how he rose from the dead to save us. And we should never forget the true meaning of Easter either and tell everyone we know of the amazing miracle of Easter morning.
Friday, December 08, 2006
Dorothy and the Dolphin
Dorothy and the Dolphin
Value: Forgiveness
“Oh yeah, well you are the stupidest sister in the world!” Angelo yelled at his sister Dorothy so loud his voice began to crack.
“I am not stupid, Angelo!” Dorothy shouted back her face red with anger. “I hate you, I hate you, I hate you.” And she stormed out of the game room and ran upstairs to her room and slammed the door so loud the neighbors heard it and then she threw herself on the bed and cried. She hated fighting with Angelo but she was so mad right now, she didn’t know what she might do. To forget the fight, she turned on her TV in her room and her favorite cartoon TV show, Donald the Dolphin was on. Soon she was distracted by the silly, mostly ridiculous things that cartoon characters get to do.
“It must be easy to be a cartoon character.” She heard herself mutter feeling that she might be drifting off to sleep.
“Its time for Shakey the Shark to blow up!” The shrill cartoon voice of Donald the Dolphin woke Dorothy up. She sat straight up and looked for the floor of her room. But there was no floor. Under her were crayon colored waves of water but not water because she was walking on them. She panicked and spun around and everywhere she looked, it was the cartoon world.
“Where am I?” she said frantically trying to grab a hold of something. But everything was cartoon reality so it just squished through her hands.
“Why you are here with me Dorothy." said Donald the Dolphin doing a huge leap from the Skalley Walley Ocean and coming down with a huge SPLASH. Dorothy actually saw the word SPLASH appear above the cartoon water and then it splattered everywhere. It got on her but she wasn’t wet, just covered in cartoon goo that quickly disappeared in the next frame.
“Donald, where is my dad and mom, where is my brother?” Dorothy asked trying to figure out right away how to get back to real life and out of the cartoon.
“But I thought you wanted to be in a cartoon, Dorothy. Ahoy, Chester the Chicken!” Dorothy turned around and she was scooped up on a huge orange and yellow cartoon jet ski. Chester the Chicken was driving and laughing wildly. The jet ski took off into the sky with just a swirl of exhaust and then landed on the road near Skalley Wumpkum Town where Chester the Chicken was mayor.
“We know you are mad at Angelo, Dorothy. Here in cartoon land, we can give you lots of funny ways to get back at him.” Chester said in a voice that was always too high and too low but never in the middle. ‘SHALZOOM!” Chester said and a cartoon version of Angelo appeared. Dorothy almost ran to him until he started popping his eyes out and turning his feet into springs. Then she knew he was just a cartoon.
“As mayor of Shalley Wumpkum Town, you are guilty of making Dorothy mad Angelo and so your sentence is SHALZOOM!” All of a sudden, a massive rock dropped form nowhere and squished the cartoon Angelo. Dorothy screamed but then he oozed out the side of the rock and popped right back into the shape of cartoon Angelo.
“Wowzie Zowzie, that stung!” Cartoon Angelo said laughing.
“Now you get to try one Dorothy. Make Angelo pay for making you mad.” Chester insisted.
“But I don’t want Angelo to get hurt!” She insisted.
“Well then I will do it!” Chester said and he opened a wood door in his chicken belly and said “SHALZOOM”.
An angry swarm of cartoon insects surged out of the door and went directly toward Angelo. Each one did two loop-de-loops and then stung him in the behind. Angelo started running down the road whooping and jumping. Dorothy didn’t know what to do. This is all so silly and meaningless. What she needed was some real wisdom from someone she trusted to help her with her anger at Angelo.
“Oh I wish I was with someone wise.” She said as she began to run at super fast speed on her cartoon legs that had turned into wheels and she passed Angelo but then shot off a huge cliff and was falling, falling falling…………
“Oh!” she awoke with a start.
“Are you ok sweetie?” she heard a very real human voice. It was Grandpa. She was dozing on his lap. “I think you had a nightmare.”
“I did Grandpa. I was a cartoon in the Donald the Dolphin show and I was mad at Angelo and they were making me do awful things to him and and and…” she started to pour out what she saw there.
“Shush little girl” Grandpa said as only he could do. “You are safe here now. You are angry at Angelo and you don’t know what to do?” He asked.
“Yes and I said some terrible things to him before I went to my room and pouted and went into the cartoon world and I felt just terrible and I don’t know hot to forgive him and I know I need to ask his forgiveness and, and and….” She continued demonstrating that she had not yet learned to talk in more than one sentence.
“Dorothy,” said Grandpa. “You don’t need the magic of cartoons to make everything right. You have a secret super power. It’s called forgiveness. If you will forgive Angelo, your heart will fill with love for him again and all those awful feelings will go away.” He told her giving her that wisdom she had been begging Chester the Chicken for.
“But how Grandpa?” Dorothy said confused.
“You know how Jesus forgave you of all your sins and came into your heart?” Grandpa said.
“Oh yes Grandpa. He forgave me of everything and made me clean inside.”
“Well just go to that place in your heart where Jesus is and ask him to help you give the forgiveness to Angelo that he gave to you when he died for you and rose again. The Holy Spirit will throw that resentment and anger right out of your heart and you will forgive him in a deep place and then it will be easy to go ask him to forgive you.”
“I can feel it already Grandpa. I think Jesus has already given me the secret super power of forgiveness. I am going to go make up with Angelo right now. Thank you Grandpa.” She said happily hugging his neck and she hopped down and ran to the door.
“Isn’t there one more thing you need to do today after you make up with Angelo?” Grandpa called to her. Dorothy stopped and thought about it and then laughed her happy little girl giggle.
“There sure is Grandpa.” She said. “I am going to quit watching the Donald the Dolphin cartoon show right away!’
Value: Forgiveness
“Oh yeah, well you are the stupidest sister in the world!” Angelo yelled at his sister Dorothy so loud his voice began to crack.
“I am not stupid, Angelo!” Dorothy shouted back her face red with anger. “I hate you, I hate you, I hate you.” And she stormed out of the game room and ran upstairs to her room and slammed the door so loud the neighbors heard it and then she threw herself on the bed and cried. She hated fighting with Angelo but she was so mad right now, she didn’t know what she might do. To forget the fight, she turned on her TV in her room and her favorite cartoon TV show, Donald the Dolphin was on. Soon she was distracted by the silly, mostly ridiculous things that cartoon characters get to do.
“It must be easy to be a cartoon character.” She heard herself mutter feeling that she might be drifting off to sleep.
“Its time for Shakey the Shark to blow up!” The shrill cartoon voice of Donald the Dolphin woke Dorothy up. She sat straight up and looked for the floor of her room. But there was no floor. Under her were crayon colored waves of water but not water because she was walking on them. She panicked and spun around and everywhere she looked, it was the cartoon world.
“Where am I?” she said frantically trying to grab a hold of something. But everything was cartoon reality so it just squished through her hands.
“Why you are here with me Dorothy." said Donald the Dolphin doing a huge leap from the Skalley Walley Ocean and coming down with a huge SPLASH. Dorothy actually saw the word SPLASH appear above the cartoon water and then it splattered everywhere. It got on her but she wasn’t wet, just covered in cartoon goo that quickly disappeared in the next frame.
“Donald, where is my dad and mom, where is my brother?” Dorothy asked trying to figure out right away how to get back to real life and out of the cartoon.
“But I thought you wanted to be in a cartoon, Dorothy. Ahoy, Chester the Chicken!” Dorothy turned around and she was scooped up on a huge orange and yellow cartoon jet ski. Chester the Chicken was driving and laughing wildly. The jet ski took off into the sky with just a swirl of exhaust and then landed on the road near Skalley Wumpkum Town where Chester the Chicken was mayor.
“We know you are mad at Angelo, Dorothy. Here in cartoon land, we can give you lots of funny ways to get back at him.” Chester said in a voice that was always too high and too low but never in the middle. ‘SHALZOOM!” Chester said and a cartoon version of Angelo appeared. Dorothy almost ran to him until he started popping his eyes out and turning his feet into springs. Then she knew he was just a cartoon.
“As mayor of Shalley Wumpkum Town, you are guilty of making Dorothy mad Angelo and so your sentence is SHALZOOM!” All of a sudden, a massive rock dropped form nowhere and squished the cartoon Angelo. Dorothy screamed but then he oozed out the side of the rock and popped right back into the shape of cartoon Angelo.
“Wowzie Zowzie, that stung!” Cartoon Angelo said laughing.
“Now you get to try one Dorothy. Make Angelo pay for making you mad.” Chester insisted.
“But I don’t want Angelo to get hurt!” She insisted.
“Well then I will do it!” Chester said and he opened a wood door in his chicken belly and said “SHALZOOM”.
An angry swarm of cartoon insects surged out of the door and went directly toward Angelo. Each one did two loop-de-loops and then stung him in the behind. Angelo started running down the road whooping and jumping. Dorothy didn’t know what to do. This is all so silly and meaningless. What she needed was some real wisdom from someone she trusted to help her with her anger at Angelo.
“Oh I wish I was with someone wise.” She said as she began to run at super fast speed on her cartoon legs that had turned into wheels and she passed Angelo but then shot off a huge cliff and was falling, falling falling…………
“Oh!” she awoke with a start.
“Are you ok sweetie?” she heard a very real human voice. It was Grandpa. She was dozing on his lap. “I think you had a nightmare.”
“I did Grandpa. I was a cartoon in the Donald the Dolphin show and I was mad at Angelo and they were making me do awful things to him and and and…” she started to pour out what she saw there.
“Shush little girl” Grandpa said as only he could do. “You are safe here now. You are angry at Angelo and you don’t know what to do?” He asked.
“Yes and I said some terrible things to him before I went to my room and pouted and went into the cartoon world and I felt just terrible and I don’t know hot to forgive him and I know I need to ask his forgiveness and, and and….” She continued demonstrating that she had not yet learned to talk in more than one sentence.
“Dorothy,” said Grandpa. “You don’t need the magic of cartoons to make everything right. You have a secret super power. It’s called forgiveness. If you will forgive Angelo, your heart will fill with love for him again and all those awful feelings will go away.” He told her giving her that wisdom she had been begging Chester the Chicken for.
“But how Grandpa?” Dorothy said confused.
“You know how Jesus forgave you of all your sins and came into your heart?” Grandpa said.
“Oh yes Grandpa. He forgave me of everything and made me clean inside.”
“Well just go to that place in your heart where Jesus is and ask him to help you give the forgiveness to Angelo that he gave to you when he died for you and rose again. The Holy Spirit will throw that resentment and anger right out of your heart and you will forgive him in a deep place and then it will be easy to go ask him to forgive you.”
“I can feel it already Grandpa. I think Jesus has already given me the secret super power of forgiveness. I am going to go make up with Angelo right now. Thank you Grandpa.” She said happily hugging his neck and she hopped down and ran to the door.
“Isn’t there one more thing you need to do today after you make up with Angelo?” Grandpa called to her. Dorothy stopped and thought about it and then laughed her happy little girl giggle.
“There sure is Grandpa.” She said. “I am going to quit watching the Donald the Dolphin cartoon show right away!’
Daddy the Superhero
Daddy the Superhero
Value: Honor your Father and Mother
Brandon and Sean loved superheroes. They loved Superman and Batman and the Fantastic Four and dozens and dozens more. They rooms were overflowing with action figures and comic books of all of the most amazing super heroes in the imaginary world and they knew their names and their stories to the tiniest little detail.
“Tell me the favorite thing you like about a superhero.” Mommy aced them as they settled in for their evening devotionals.
“Well,” Sean started. “They always defeat evil. Evil monsters and people who want to hurt innocent people are always wiped out by superheroes when they use their superhuman powers.” He said making punching thrusts into the air sitting on the couch with mommy in his footy pajamas.
“What I like is that superheroes are never afraid and always know what to do.” Brandon added looking into space like he could see his favorite superhero right there in front of him.
“Well I am going to tell you of a real superhero that you live with. We will call him SUPERDADDY.” Mommy said happily.
The boys burst into laughter. They thought of their daddy as someone who sat at his computer working, a shy gentle man with his hair starting to go away. “Daddy isn’t a superhero!” They said together.
“Well right after you boys were born, daddy and I received Jesus and now Jesus is in our hearts. You know that don’t you.” Mommy said and both boys nodded.
“Well Satan didn’t want us to have wonderful boys like you who would be raised to serve god. One day, daddy got up and in his spiritual eyes, he saw the house was full of evil creatures lurking around trying to find ways to stop God from doing His will in our lives. Suddenly from far away, daddy heard the trumpet call coming from heaven that was going to have war with Satan and his demons to defeat them.
Right away daddy put on his superhero armor. He used the sword of the word of God. And the breastplate of righteousness. Our living room was changed into a huge battleground between Satan and God’s servants. Your daddy led the attack charging forward shouting the battle cry. “IN THE NAME OF JESUS.”
The enemy tired to attack. They swarmed around him. Oh, they were nasty and ugly little evil things. They were angels who fell with Satan and demons and evil spirits like Jesus cast out of people in the Bible.”
“Oh mommy, I would be so scared to see demons like that.” Sean said his voice quivering thinking of how brave SUPERDADDY must have been.
“Well SUPERDADDY was filled with the Holy Spirit so he had the boldness of God in him.” Mommy continued. “He stabbed with the word of God’s word sending the demons howling from the battle. Once an army of evil things tried to attack our family and daddy used the super weapon of praise. Raising his mighty sword into the air, he sang the praises of Jesus and the evil spirits ran in fear form him. The fire of the Holy Spirit like we read about in Acts was shooting from daddy’s sword and the ends of his fingers because he was full of God’s power and anointing to fight evil. Finally, SUPERDADDY stood face to face with the prince of all that was evil himself.
“The devil himself? How could daddy fight him?” Brandon said very frightened thinking of the daddy he loved facing the most evil thing in the universe.
“Well that’s because your daddy is not only brave and strong and full of the superpowers of the Holy Spirit but he also knows who he serves. He knew he could count on his Lord to back him up. He pulled the sword of the word out and declared. “AT THE NAME OF JESUS, EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW.”
“Just then daddy stepped aside and knelt putting his head covered with his helmet to his sword. From behind him Jesus stepped up and cast Satan away. Jesus spoke the word of God and banished the evil one from the battle and from our home forever. Then he put a barrier of protection around us so we can live here in peace and worship God and so daddy and I can raise you little stinkers to become mighty men of God just like daddy.” Mommy finished the story tickling Brandon and Sean and making them giggle.
“Oh now, you telling that old story of the battle with Satan again?” Daddy said walking through and smiling seeing his family playing together.
“Daddy we want to be superheroes just like you!” Sean shouted jumping up to him for a hug.
“You learn the Bible and how to pray and all the lessons you will learn at church and Sunday School and Jesus will use you boys to battle evil too. Just you wait and see.” Daddy said hugging them goodnight. The boys watched daddy the superhero walk away. To their eyes, he was just a regular dad, but even then, as he walked off, they thought they saw small flames shoot from his fingers.
Value: Honor your Father and Mother
Brandon and Sean loved superheroes. They loved Superman and Batman and the Fantastic Four and dozens and dozens more. They rooms were overflowing with action figures and comic books of all of the most amazing super heroes in the imaginary world and they knew their names and their stories to the tiniest little detail.
“Tell me the favorite thing you like about a superhero.” Mommy aced them as they settled in for their evening devotionals.
“Well,” Sean started. “They always defeat evil. Evil monsters and people who want to hurt innocent people are always wiped out by superheroes when they use their superhuman powers.” He said making punching thrusts into the air sitting on the couch with mommy in his footy pajamas.
“What I like is that superheroes are never afraid and always know what to do.” Brandon added looking into space like he could see his favorite superhero right there in front of him.
“Well I am going to tell you of a real superhero that you live with. We will call him SUPERDADDY.” Mommy said happily.
The boys burst into laughter. They thought of their daddy as someone who sat at his computer working, a shy gentle man with his hair starting to go away. “Daddy isn’t a superhero!” They said together.
“Well right after you boys were born, daddy and I received Jesus and now Jesus is in our hearts. You know that don’t you.” Mommy said and both boys nodded.
“Well Satan didn’t want us to have wonderful boys like you who would be raised to serve god. One day, daddy got up and in his spiritual eyes, he saw the house was full of evil creatures lurking around trying to find ways to stop God from doing His will in our lives. Suddenly from far away, daddy heard the trumpet call coming from heaven that was going to have war with Satan and his demons to defeat them.
Right away daddy put on his superhero armor. He used the sword of the word of God. And the breastplate of righteousness. Our living room was changed into a huge battleground between Satan and God’s servants. Your daddy led the attack charging forward shouting the battle cry. “IN THE NAME OF JESUS.”
The enemy tired to attack. They swarmed around him. Oh, they were nasty and ugly little evil things. They were angels who fell with Satan and demons and evil spirits like Jesus cast out of people in the Bible.”
“Oh mommy, I would be so scared to see demons like that.” Sean said his voice quivering thinking of how brave SUPERDADDY must have been.
“Well SUPERDADDY was filled with the Holy Spirit so he had the boldness of God in him.” Mommy continued. “He stabbed with the word of God’s word sending the demons howling from the battle. Once an army of evil things tried to attack our family and daddy used the super weapon of praise. Raising his mighty sword into the air, he sang the praises of Jesus and the evil spirits ran in fear form him. The fire of the Holy Spirit like we read about in Acts was shooting from daddy’s sword and the ends of his fingers because he was full of God’s power and anointing to fight evil. Finally, SUPERDADDY stood face to face with the prince of all that was evil himself.
“The devil himself? How could daddy fight him?” Brandon said very frightened thinking of the daddy he loved facing the most evil thing in the universe.
“Well that’s because your daddy is not only brave and strong and full of the superpowers of the Holy Spirit but he also knows who he serves. He knew he could count on his Lord to back him up. He pulled the sword of the word out and declared. “AT THE NAME OF JESUS, EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW.”
“Just then daddy stepped aside and knelt putting his head covered with his helmet to his sword. From behind him Jesus stepped up and cast Satan away. Jesus spoke the word of God and banished the evil one from the battle and from our home forever. Then he put a barrier of protection around us so we can live here in peace and worship God and so daddy and I can raise you little stinkers to become mighty men of God just like daddy.” Mommy finished the story tickling Brandon and Sean and making them giggle.
“Oh now, you telling that old story of the battle with Satan again?” Daddy said walking through and smiling seeing his family playing together.
“Daddy we want to be superheroes just like you!” Sean shouted jumping up to him for a hug.
“You learn the Bible and how to pray and all the lessons you will learn at church and Sunday School and Jesus will use you boys to battle evil too. Just you wait and see.” Daddy said hugging them goodnight. The boys watched daddy the superhero walk away. To their eyes, he was just a regular dad, but even then, as he walked off, they thought they saw small flames shoot from his fingers.
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