Bring Others Into the Sunshine of God's Good News by Linda L. Linn - HTML preview

Chapter 10

2 Thessalonians 3:5, And the Lord direct your hearts

into the love of God, and to the patient waiting for Christ.

Brad wrote about the party for those leaving the ranch and farm in his notebook. I’m glad I

was invited to the graduation / going-away party for the young

people who just graduated from high school and were getting ready

to turn nineteen. It was a very nice party and the songs the

graduates sang went very well with it.

There were a dozen girls from the ranch and only four boys

from the farm. I saw a couple of the boys writing the names of the

girls as they gave their speeches. I wondered what they were

looking for and why they circled one certain name on their list.

I learned a lot by listening to their speeches, especially the

ones who mentioned missing the ranch with its horses and how they

wished they could do what some of the other girls have already

done. Three of the girls told in their speeches at the party, their

desire to be a foster mom, like their moms had done. Another one

mentioned wanting to raise foster children in the city.

I’m so glad I had already chosen the one who was best for me,

because, I got to smile knowingly as I waited for her speech!

Irene’s speech included her plans to become a foster mom on

the ranch, plus she announced her engagement to me, Brad Decker!

Wow! I felt like I wanted to shout hurrah and cheer!

Later I learned even more, like when I found out that the

families of some young ladies for example, Ellie and Lisa’s, were

going to meals on the farm or that families of farm young men had

been asked to come do things with families on the ranch. Again it

was Ellie and Lisa’s family. I’m so glad I had not chosen one of

them.

Now I’ll review my plans and the progress I’m making to

become an honorable young man. Then I’ll inventory my apartment

 

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to see if it might work for a married couple. I know it’s not very

big, since it’s a studio apartment, but it would only be for a few

months until the upstairs of the fourth house on the ranch is

completed. The rent here would be low enough to save us a lot of

money that we could use to buy things we would need on the ranch.

I’ll ask Irene and we can talk about it and see what we decide is

the best thing to do.

As a result of the party, Ted and Julie called Larry and Jane to keep them posted on the news about Brad.

Julie told them, “It was just as we supposed the time we told you about Brad. He had chosen one of the senior girls in Denji and Sara’s family. He had the biggest smile on his face while she gave her speech.”

Ted added, “They must have already been engaged for a while, because in her speech, Irene announced her engagement to Brad, and that they would have a small wedding on the ranch on Valentine’s Day. Plus we heard it’s also her birthday!”

“This way,” explained Julie, “Irene will only have to move one time, instead of into an apartment of her own to wait for the wedding. The happy couple will be able to move right into Brad’s apartment the same day as the wedding.”

Ted continued, “They’re planning to move to the ranch when a house is available, and be foster parents here.”

Jane exclaimed, “What a sweet ending to that love story. I’d like to know the rest of the details, but I guess it’s none of my business.”

“But,” Larry put in, “I imagine it was much like you told us about Candy and Evan getting acquainted by doing things with her family on the ranch. And they fell in love and got married and are being very good foster parents on the ranch.”

Jane agreed, “I’ll bet you’re right, Dear. Every time I hear something about the way the ranch is helping those abused girls I’m so happy the two of you get to live there and be a part of it. Besides, I really enjoy having you tell us about it.”

“Same here,” Larry went on, “we also really enjoyed watching the TV program where Oscar and Vera Yardley were interviewed.”

“So did we,” and then Julie admitted, “I'm always amazed when I think about the ways our awesome God works to get people to do what he desires for them to do, not just here on the ranch, but everywhere!”

The title for the second book by William Beckett, and Karen Spencer, and others, was “Choose Your Examples.” Some of the segments in this book are new ones, but many of them are copied, with this author’s permission, from other books in the Sunshine Series, by Linda L. Linn.

Cory’s dad and mom, Greg and Oralie Iverson, took turns reading the book to all five of their boys with time for comments, questions, and answers. Greg would read the parts done in William's Bible Study Groups, and Oralie would read the parts done in Karen’s classes. First of all, Greg read the scripture verse and the introduction to the book because it had some helpful information in it.

He said, “The scripture verse is repeated from one of the lessons on the Holy Spirit. It’s Romans 12:2, Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may show the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God.”

Introduction to “Choose Your Examples”

In the Sunshine Series of novels, Karen Spencer, who taught Bible classes for the foster girls on Mercy Valley Ranch, and William Beckett, who taught Bible classes for the foster boys on Mercy Valley Farm, and others wrote this book about the historical lives of real people. Its purpose was to encourage people to study noble, honorable people in the Bible and choose their good qualities to incorporate into their own lives.

This book has true life accounts of some of the events in the lives of several noble, virtuous, honorable people in the Bible, and their good qualities. It begins with Jesus as the main example. Thomas said to Jesus in John 20:28b, my Lord and my God. In my opinion, Jesus is our best example. Plus we can also learn a lot from the other noble, honorable people and copy their good attributes. The others they included

 

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were Jesus’ mother, Mary, and Joseph, her husband; Joseph, son of Jacob; Joshua, Ruth and Boaz, Samuel, Esther with Mordecai, Daniel, Stephen, Dorcas, also known as Tabitha; Barnabas, Lydia, Timothy, and Phoebe.

Cory mentioned, “Now that you read the introduction, Dad, I can see how well it goes with the title of the short book.”

“I can too,” agreed Kevin, “and the introduction also gave us a preview of what will be in this short book.”

Part One: Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God, the Messiah

Then Oralie read aloud the following part of the book.

William and Karen emphasized at the beginning of the book, “We don’t pretend that these lessons are all there is to know about Jesus. You and I have a life time to learn what scripture says about him and how to live the way he desires for us, and then we’ll have eternity to continue to praise and serve him.”

For one of her Bible Study Groups on Mercy Valley Ranch, Karen Spencer handed out slips of paper with Bible references or other directions on them. Then she explained, “Other names for Jesus from Bible verses can affect the way we live for him. For example, names like Master, Messiah, Teacher, like we read in Matthew 23:10b, One is your Master, even Christ. Lisa will you please read the verses you looked up?”

“Yes, answered Lisa, “They are John 13:13,14, You call me Master and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.”

Nan remarked, “I looked up Lord and Master and they have similar meanings. Since Jesus is both, he’s the boss or the ruler and we need to obey him as we live our lives for him.”

“I agree, Nan,” stated Christy and then she read, “John 1:41 says, Andrew found his own brother Simon and said to him, We have found the Messiah, which is being interpreted, the Christ.”

“I’m glad Andrew looked for his brother,” Stella inserted and then said, “I found that Messiah and Christ both mean the anointed One. In the Old Testament, people were anointed for a special function such as priest or king. Jesus is both of those and besides that, he is our Savior.”

Ellie reasoned, “What you found out helps to show that Jesus is more important than all the others who were anointed. Now I’ll read the verse I looked up. John 3:2 says, Nicodemus came to Jesus by night and said to him, Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no man can do these miracles that you do, except God be with him.”

“The verse you read, Ellie, shows that he respected Jesus.” Then Liz followed that comment with, “When I looked up Rabbi, it said it means my master or my teacher, and it was used as a title of respect for their teachers.”

“Thank you, girls, for reading the verses and explaining the meanings of the words,” and then Karen continued, “If you want more examples, look for names of Jesus on the web and you will find many! But right now I want us to look at some verses that go well with this Christmas season. We know more about Jesus’ conception and birth than about any other person in the world. Listen to Emma and Hanna as each one reads an Old Testament prophecy about his birth and how it was fulfilled in the New Testament.

Emma read the first pair, “Isaiah 7:14, … the Lord himself shall give you a sign. Behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall call his name Emanuel. And Matthew 1:18,22, Now the birth of Jesus Christ was this way. When his mother Mary was engaged to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. … Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet.”

Then Hanna read, “Micah 5:2, But you, Bethlehem, … though you be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall he come forth unto me, who is to be ruler in Israel, whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. And Matthew 2:4,5,… Herod demanded where Christ should be born. They said to him, In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet…”

Karen went on, “These verses go well with this part of December. In our next class, we can continue with scripture verses about Mary the mother of Jesus, her husband Joseph, and about Jesus birth and early childhood.”

Max commented, “It seems strange to be hearing about Christmas at this time of year.”

“I agree, Max,” responded Levi, “but it makes sense for this book to begin with the birth of Jesus since he’s so important.”

Daniel added, “I like hearing some of the comments the girls on the ranch made about those scriptures and the words they looked up.”

“Yes,” agreed Oralie, their mom, “it adds interest to the story and helps to explain what those words mean. We’ll continue hearing more of this book off and on for our devotional times.”

All five boys smiled, nodded, and gave the idea a thumb up.

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Cory wrote a thought in his notebook. “I like hearing what those girls read and answer, and comment, the way Mom reads it. I’m beginning to like all of them.”

Irene’s birthday was in February, which was pretty soon after her high school graduation, so they didn’t have to wait very long for their wedding. Irene had not said anything to anyone about Brad, so when she made her engagement announcement in her speech at the party, many of the other families were very surprised. But others realized that their speculations had been correct.

Irene stipulated that she did not want a shower for the bride or presents for the wedding because she knew the people on the ranch could not afford to spend that money. All the guests for the wedding would be dressed in their riding clothes. The bride and groom would wear new white western style shirts for the occasion and they could be used again later.

Irene had stated earlier, “Brad, Dear, I know you probably have all the housekeeping things needed for your apartment, and therefore we can do without presents.

“Yes, Honey,” agreed Brad, “and while we wait for the fourth house to be finished, we can save money to buy the things we will need for our instant family on the ranch.”

Irene went on, “Certainly, and I remember that Candy and Evan had no presents given to them at their wedding. They saved money to buy what they would need while they waited for the next house to be finished on the ranch. It worked very well for them.”

“They're nice people,” said Brad, “and it’s nice that we can get ideas from people who have done this before we do.”

Then he told Irene about his studio apartment and showed her a floor plan he had drawn. Plus he showed her a floor plan of a one bedroom apartment also. Next he asked, “Which one do you think would work best for us after we’re married?”

Irene answered, “This studio apartment is so compact, and I imagine that it has a lot lower rent. If you don’t mind being crowded for a few months, then it would save us even more money to buy things we will need for the ranch.”

“I totally agree with you, Dearest!” Brad exclaimed.

The next time Brad went to pay his rent he told his landlords about his wedding plans and invited them to the wedding. But they declined when they heard about the horses, because they were afraid of them.

Brad and Irene got married on February 14. Irene was glad she only had to move once because her wedding was on the same day as her nineteenth birthday! Irene’s family had helped her move her belongings into Brad’s apartment in the early morning before the wedding and he was there to show them where he had cleared space so she could unpack them.

Then they all went back to the ranch to be ready for the ten o’clock wedding, which was on horseback in the big riding building. The bride and groom were on their favorite horses, Cumin and Ginger. Even Pastor Don, who was officiating the wedding, was on a horse. Brad’s friend, Ben, and Irene’s sister, Ruby, who were their attendants, were also on horses. Denji, the father of the bride, rode a horse beside Irene’s horse down the center isle to give her to her waiting groom.

The invited guests were also on horseback, so everyone was ready to go riding for the reception, which did not include anything to eat. They would all ride their horses outside in the riding ring, if it was warm enough, but it wasn’t, so they rode around in the big building, with time for each of the guests to have a chance to wish the bride and groom separate wishes. The wishes were to be written down and put into an envelope so the bride and groom could keep them as memories. This would be what they would receive instead of presents, because Brad already had his apartment supplied with all they would need while they waited for a house on the ranch.

Their short honeymoon, was in a nice hotel in the city for one night. Irene had brought the book about marriage her parents had given her the night before as a present. That evening she had read and asked her parents questions about the chapter on intimacy, so she felt ready to answer Brad’s questions after he would read the chapter when they got to the hotel. He had also saved himself for only marriage, but he didn’t have a book.

After a scrumptious lunch at the hotel, they went walking through a lovely inside botanical garden in the city. It was huge and was on several levels so they even got some good exercise on this special day. It became a special memory for both of them since they looked at and talked about all the variety in God’s creation.

After an early supper in a quiet cafe, they returned to the hotel where Brad read the important chapter in the book and then asked Irene any questions he had. Then as an ice breaker they took a fun shower together in the roomy shower, helped each other dry off and spent the rest of the evening trying out some

 

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of the suggestions they had read about in the book. They made some more pleasant memories learning how to show each other their love.

The next day they drove to Brad’s studio apartment, in a used car he had bought. When they arrived there, he showed her everything she wanted to know about where things were and how the appliances worked. After another love filled evening, they went back to work at their jobs, looking forward to spending more time as a married couple every evening and weekend.

After a week or two, they asked Pastor Don to put them in a small group for the time they would be living in Pine City. Brad also found a good job doing editing for a Christian company. Irene asked Brad to teach her everything she would need to know so she could also be an editor. He was pleased and happy to be able to teach her. She learned quickly and became very proficient.

They would work at their jobs and save all their extra money, except their tithe, until a house would become available on the ranch. Then Brad and Irene would both be able to work from home using computers to do editing for the company where he had been working. This way they could work while their foster girls would be in school. Then both be home to help raise their four foster girls.

They would have about five months to get used to being married and to get ready to be foster parents, including the training they would need. During this time they would be saving money to buy a van with seating for six people, computers for the girl’s homework, a sewing machine, and the other things they would need for the ranch house. They would plan to move to the ranch when the upper level of the fourth house would be finished.

It was time for Greg Iverson to read another part of the short book called “Choose Your Examples,” and he started as soon as the family was seated for their evening devotional time. (This is a new scene.)

Here is the lesson William did with one of his classes using the verses Karen was thinking about in her last lesson. He had given out homework the week before asking the boys to make summaries of various verses using quotes of the verses and three dots to show what was left out, plus their own summary when needed. They were to be ready to read or comment on what they learned about Mary, her husband, Joseph, and Jesus.

One boy read his summary of Luke 1:26-31,38 aloud. “… The angel Gabriel was sent by God to Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. He said to her, “Hail, you are highly favored, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women”. Mary was troubled and wondering, and the angel said, “Do not fear, Mary, for you have found favor with God, and behold you shall conceive and bring forth a son and shall call his name JESUS…” After the angel explained some more, Mary said, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord. May it be to me according to your word.”

After hearing the summary Evan commented, “Obviously Mary was afraid, but the angel told her not to fear. He said the Lord was with her and that she was highly favored and blessed, because she would be the mother of the Savior, Jesus. I liked the way she was so humble and honest and agreed to have it be as the angel had said. The verses also said she was a virgin, which is what all young women and young men, should be until they are married.”

The other boys nodded in agreement and then Gary read his summary of Luke 1:39-50,56, “Soon Mary went to visit her cousin Elisabeth and as soon as she heard Mary’s voice she spoke loudly, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. … And you are blessed because you believed, and the Lord will perform what he said he would do.”

And Mary said, “My soul does magnify the Lord and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior, for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden, for behold, from now on all generations shall call me blessed. For he who is mighty has done great things to me and his name is holy and his mercy is on those who fear him from generation to generation.”

Mary stayed with Elisabeth for about three months and returned to her own house.”

Another boy remarked after Gary had read his summary, “It was interesting that Mary’s cousin said many of the same things the angel had said to Mary. In reply Mary burst into praise for the LORD who had chosen her and done such great things to her. She was humble and gave him all the praise for what he was doing.”

“Yes, that was amazing!” William declared. “I realized I had not given this part about Joseph, Mary’s husband, to one of you so I did it myself. This is a summary of Matthew 1:18-21,24. When Jesus mother, Mary, was engaged to Joseph, she was found with child by the Holy Spirit, before they came together. Joseph … was a just man and didn’t want to make it public, so he thought of divorcing her privately. … But the angel of he Lord appeared to him in a dream, explaining that the child was conceived by the Holy

 

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Spirit, and he said,‘Take Mary as your wife and when she has her son, name him JESUS, for he shall save his people from their sins.’ When Joseph awoke, he took Mary as his wife as the angel had bidden him.”

“Wow, he obeyed right then!” Sam exclaimed. “Later in my summary of Luke 2:1-38, Joseph and Mary went to Bethlehem to be taxed when she was great with child. Of course she and Joseph had now been married for months, as it said in Matthew. And Jesus was born while they were in Bethlehem. Mary wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Angels told shepherds about Jesus birth and they came to find him. … Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart…

“ When Jesus was eight days old he was circumcised according to Jewish law, and was named JESUS as the angel had told them. Many days later they took Jesus to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord and offer the sacrifice according to the law. A man named Simeon had been told by the Holy Spirit he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Christ. He came to the temple that day, took Jesus in his arms and praised God… Joseph and his mother marveled at those things which were spoken about him… A prophetess named Anna also saw him and gave thanks…”

A different boy stated, “This is such a familiar story for us. What I noticed most was that during the whole time, there were no words of complaint from Mary, even though it must have been a long tiring trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem! On top of that there was no nice motel where she could rest after Jesus birth, and the only place to lay him was in a manger! I also think it must have been hard to watch his circumcision and then scary to listen to Simeon in Jerusalem. But the scriptures say that she kept the things in her heart and marveled at the things Simeon had said.”

“Absolutely!” William exclaimed. “Mary had to be a very strong, tough, healthy young woman to go through all she did! I noticed that Luke skipped the part, which Matthew included about the family having to flee to Egypt. So I have that part here, he continued, “In Matthew 2:13,14, after the wise men had left,… the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream saying, “Arise, take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be there until I bring you word. For Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. So he arose and took them to Egypt. And here’s a summary of 19-23, When Herod was dead, the angel told Joseph in another dream to take them back to Israel… When they got there Joseph was warned by God in a dream to go to Galilee rather than Judea. So they went to Nazareth in Galilee. I was amazed at the number of times in just a few years that an angel of the Lord or God told Joseph to do something and he trusted them and immediately did what he was told to do!”

“For sure, Joseph was very obedient and it saved Jesus life,” then Carlos went on, “I made my summary of Luke 2:39b-52, they returned to Nazareth where (Jesus) grew, became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him… When he was twelve years old they went to Jerusalem for the feast of the Passover. They left, but he stayed there listening to, and asking questions of the doctors in the temple. All who heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers. His parents went back and looked for him for three days. When they saw him, they were amazed, and his mother said to him, ‘on why did you do this? Behold, your father and I have looked for you sorrowing.’

“He said to them, ‘How is it that you looked for me? Didn’t you know that I must be about my Father’s

business?’

“But they did not understand the saying which he spoke to them. He went with them to Nazareth and was subject to them. His mother kept all these sayings in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.”

Then a fourth boy commented, “I would like to have more information about Jesus childhood, but I guess this is enough. All we really need to know is that he grew, became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him…, as Carlos just read. We also learned that he knew that his Father was God, by what he said about his Father’s business. I could tell by what she said, that Mary was very upset and worried by the time they found him, but she didn’t carry on about it or become angry. By then her heart must have been very full of the things about Jesus, and he was only twelve!”

William commended the boys, “Great work you guys! Those were all good summaries and your comments showed that you did some good thinking about what you had read.”

When his dad finished reading, Daniel declared, “We knew Mr. William Beckett and his four foster boys, plus the other four boys when they were still living on the farm. They were all very nice.”

“You’re right and I miss them, since those boys graduated from the farm and Mr. and Mrs. Beckett moved to the ranch,” Cory agreed. “But I guess it’s all part of growing up.”

“Yeah,” said Kevin. “and some parts of growing up are not as nice. But I was amazed at the good job those boys did of making summaries of all those scriptures. Plus it sounded more interesting with the others making good comments.”

 

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Max admitted, “I don’t have any questions about this lesson, since we know the story so well from other years at Christmas.”

“Same here,” Levi added, “but this was a good review and it focused my thinking on Jesus’ mother, Mary, who was so humble, willing and caring, and on her husband Joseph being so obedient and trusting.”

For show and tell in a third grade class of a public school, one child had his dad come with him and he brought a plow made from an old sink that could be pulled by a man and steadied by his wife.

The boy told his class, “Our family bought an old farm and found this plow, so we used it to plant a garden with many vegetables, and also some fields of sunflower seeds, lentils, pinto beans, wheat, rye, oats, and buckwheat. There were already a few apple, cherry, and peach trees on the farm.”

His dad added, “Our family is able to grow all we need to eat, give some produce away to neighbors and also preserve all we can to eat for the winter.”

The boy continued, “My parents have other jobs in town that give us the money to pay for the other things we need for living. And the kids in our family help with every task around the farm and house.”

When it was time for questions and answers, the children in the class asked some good questions and the dad answered.

Q: “Do you have any animals on your farm?”

Dad: “Yes, we have a golden retriever dog to chase off wild animals that would harm the gardens, and a gray tabby tom cat to catch and eat the mice on the farm. Both animals also make good pets for the family.”

Instead of bringing the animals to school for show and tell, the child just brought large photographs of them, which he held up for everyone to see.

Q: “How many kids are in your family?”

Dad: “We have four and this boy is the youngest.”

Q: “Do you have electricity and running water? Your story sounds like the way we learned about how the pioneers lived.”

Dad: “I’ll admit that it does, but we do have electricity, running water, indoor plumbing, central heating and air conditioning. Our family just wanted to see if we could grow all we need to eat like some of those pioneers did. We found out that we could and we all enjoy working together. We have a healthier diet and get lots of good exercise to keep us in better physical shape.”

The class clapped for them and the teacher thanked him for coming to share with them that day.

Roy, Sherry, Hope, and Joy met to talk about having a whole family ministry. Roy mentioned, “Our four foster girls have been here for many months and they’re all making very good progress since they accepted Jesus. I wonder if they would be ready to go as a big family and do ministry times in the park.”

“I’ve been wondering the same thing,” Sherry responded. “What do you think Joy and Hope?”

Joy answered, “They’ve all learned a lot in Karen’s classes and she has taught how to do evangelism in the public school.”

“The only thing that might scare them is performing for a crowd,” Hope remarked. “But I think if Joy and I would tell them about some of the things we used to do, it might help them. And we can tell them that usually the crowd is not very big.”

So later that day, they had a big family meeting so they could explain what a family ministry could be and how it might work. This included what Joy and Hope told them about some of the things they had done in the past and the rejoicing everyone did when someone accepted Jesus.

The four girls all agreed to try it, so they chose a song they could learn to sing and some scriptures to go with it. They would practice it for a month or so while the weather was still too cold to go to a park, and they would memorize some scriptures to go with the song.

They chose the song called, “No One Ever Cared For Me Like Jesus.” The first line of the chorus is the title of the song and explains that he’s a kind and gracious friend who took away sin and darkness because he cared so much.

Hope and Joy would sing a duet on the first verse, which invites the people to listen to what they would like to tell about Jesus being a true friend who changed their lives. Then Dad would would pause the music while they quoted 1 Corinthians 5:17, Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

Next they would all sing the chorus and April and May would sing the second verse as a duet. The lyrics tell of a miserable life before, and how Jesus came and lovingly forgave and led them. When Dad paused the music they would quote Matthew 11:28, Jesus said, “ Come to me all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.”

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Again they would all sing the chorus and then Tina and Lina would sing the third verse as a duet. Dad would pause the music and they would quote Colossians 1:13, God Rescued us from the power of darkness and has translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son.”

To finish, they all sang the chorus again and everyone quoted John 15:15b, Jesus said, “I have called you friends, because I have made known to you what I heard from my Father.”

Next the six girls would take turns quoting verses to tell the Good News. And then Sherry would ask if the people had any questions. After taking time to answer all the questions, Roy would give an invitation and help the people pray a prayer to accept Jesus and the Savior and Master of their lives. The six girls enjoyed rejoicing with the new believers and handed out and explained the booklet titled “Your New Life.” Sherry explained about the card inside, and Roy invited them all to church.

Jose and Lisa were talking as they rode Arrow and Stripe side by side with the family on the ranch. He mentioned, “I'm so glad we both enjoy horseback riding and that these wonderful horses are so well trained and comfortable to ride.”

“So am I,” Lisa agreed, “and I know how helpful these horses were to me when I first came to this ranch. I’m sure they will continue to be for all the girls.”

Jose continued, “It’s neat that we both desire to raise foster girls here on this ranch, because it will be a good way we can serve Jesus who has done so much for us.”

“Exactly!” Lisa exclaimed. “I had worried that time was running out for me to be able to attain my desire, but now I think God will work it all out in his best timing and way.”

Jose went on, “I agree, and I’m glad we have a head start on getting to know each other because of our speeches at the party. We already get to talk about things that are important to both of us.”

“As a matter of fact,” Lisa suggested, “I would say we are probably ready to write our essays about our opinions about the important issues on the list we were given by our Bible Study Group teachers.”

Jose nodded, “Definitely, this is a good time to find out if we would be compatible or if there are some things we can work together on to solve differences in opinions.”

Lisa remarked, “I think I can have mine ready by the time you come here next week. I’ll ask my family if they can play a Bible board game in the game room while we sit at a small table across from each other to read each issue and ask questions or clarify things.”

“Perfect!” Jose stated. And for the rest of their ride, they gave a quick review of their childhood before coming to the ranch or farm, and how they were able to forgive and go on from there. They found out that their birthdays were on the same day!

The next week in the game room, they were amazed again and were happy because they agreed about all the issues after a few clarifications. They were well on their way to feeling very comfortable with each other.

As Karen was observing them when they stood up to walk around and stretch, she was thinking, “He’s tall, dark, and handsome, and she’s cute, petite, and dainty. They make a nice looking couple!

Hugo and Ellie had also written their essays and had time to talk things over the same day as Jose and Lisa.

When Jose and Hugo got home the same day, they described the game room to their parents. “The ranch has four game rooms now, since the first house on the hillside is finished,” stated Jose.

“Right,” and Hugo went on, “they’re all furnished with a place for table tennis, and many smaller tables for Bible board games, puzzles, different kinds of learning games with cards, a piano, a carpeted area, a place with a smooth floor where kids can play ‘jacks’, and many shelves with puzzles, and games to choose from.”

Jose continued, “The game room we were in, even had a good sized library with lots of books the kids or families could check out and use and then bring back. It would be nice if this farm could have even just one game room. It could be big enough for three places for table tennis, the library from the big house, and the other things, except the piano, since the big farm house has one already.

Felix nodded. “I remember those game rooms from the times the Mendoza family took us to the ranch when it was a dude ranch. They are very nice and it was a perfect place to go even in the summer on a windy or rainy day.”

“So do I,” inserted Sunny. “When I went there with my best friend, Esther, we enjoyed many hours in the upstairs or downstairs game rooms. I really liked the library!

“It’s neat that you both know about those rooms already. Besides those things in the game rooms, it would be grand if there was a running track with up and downhill areas to get exercise on the days when it’s so cold here in the winter,” reasoned Hugo.

 

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“I agree wholeheartedly!” Felix exclaimed. “I'll draw up a floor plan with all those neat things you listed and take it over to show the boss, and suggest that it would be a really nice addition to this farm.”

Sunny added, “Maybe if each family would contribute some money to a building fund, the boss might be more amenable to the idea.”

“There’s a new word I haven’t heard,” mentioned Jose. “What does it mean?

Sunny explained, “It’s just another way of saying he might be more open to the idea or more easily persuaded to do it.”

“Thanks, Mom, for the definition,” Jose said sincerely.

The Iverson boys looked forward to listening to their dad or mom read from the “Choose Your Examples” book. The next part was very interesting. Oralie enjoyed reading it out loud.

At another time, Karen told her classes, “I looked up two different songs about Jesus with the title, ‘He Was More than Just a Man,’ and another one called ‘More Than Just a Carpenter.’ Let’s listen to them.” They all enjoyed the songs, and then she said, “There’s also a book by the same title.

Then she had the girls read silently about Jesus’ temptations in Matthew 4:1-11. When they finished reading, she read Hebrews 4:15,16 to them. For we do not have a high priest who cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but he was in all points tempted like we are, yet he was without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Then she explained, “A prophecy in Isaiah 61:1,2 was fulfilled in Luke chapter 4. After Jesus was baptized by John in the Jordan River he was filled with the Holy Spirit. Then he was tempted by the devil, but Jesus was victorious by answering all the temptations with scriptures, which he must have known by memory. After the temptations, he returned to Galilee and taught in the Jewish synagogues.”

Next she instructed, “Read Luke 4, verses 16-20 to yourselves, and be ready to tell me what you noticed.”

She gave them time, and this is what they read. (Jesus) came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up to read. They gave him the book of the prophet Isaiah. When he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the book, and gave it to the minister, and sat down. The eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fastened on him. Karen explained, “that means they were ready to listen to him after he read the scripture in Isaiah. Then she continued, “Please read verse 21 aloud with me. Jesus said to them, ‘Today this scripture is fulfilled in your ears.’ The next verse tells us they wondered about his words since they knew he was Joseph’s son. Now read verses 23-30 silently and see if you can figure out why the people got so angry with Jesus.”

When they had finished reading those verses, Lisa suggested, “I’m not sure, but maybe they got angry because what he said showed them he knew their inner thoughts of unbelief and that they wouldn’t accept him.”

“I agree with you, Lisa,” said Christy, “and his examples were about only people who had believed the prophets enough that they were helped.”

“Plus,” added Emma, “those people who were helped weren’t even Jews, and so they might have been offended by those comparisons.”

Liz added, “It’s terrible to realize people could get angry enough about what he had said that they wanted to kill him right then.”

“Right,” Ellie went on, “and things like that happened many times during his ministry on earth.”

Hanna remarked, “I agree with all those ideas, and while I was listening to them, I used this dictionary with its thesaurus that you bought for these groups to use. It says that ‘wonder’ can mean to speculate or question. Maybe they were looking for something to be angry about or criticize because they didn’t think he could be the one who could possibly fulfill the scripture in Isaiah.”

“That makes sense,” stated Nan. “Also, I was looking at verse 23 and 24 again. The people might have thought he was accusing them of just wanting to see some miracles like they had heard about him doing other places. Then he flatly told them that prophets aren’t accepted in their own hometowns.”

Karen commended them, “Thank you girls for your thoughtful answers to why the people in Jesus hometown rejected him. And I like the way this part ended in verse 30-32. Please read it, Stella.”

Stella read, “But Jesus passing through the midst of them went his way. He came to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and taught them on the sabbath days. They were astonished at his doctrine, for his word was with power,”

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Oralie noted, “This is the end of the lesson.”

Daniel exclaimed, “It was a great ending to the story!”

“It sure was, “Cory agreed and went on, “I think the people were looking and hoping for a deliverer like Moses, so when Jesus wasn’t like that, they were disappointed.”

“Yeah,” stated Kevin, “they didn’t want just a teacher and healer.”

Levi remarked, “I like the way the teachers can pull so many verses from other places in the Bible and fit them together in the story of Jesus life.”

“So do I,” agreed Max and then he asked, “how do they know where to find them?”

Oralie answered, “I think they use the concordance and center references in their Bibles for most of it. Maybe they also look on the web and find some more ideas.”

In a little while, Cory wrote in his notebook some thoughts he had about what the girls had said in this lesson. “All these girls put a lot of thought into their answers. I like hearing the things they say and I can imagine some of them reading those verses with great expression, like Mom does.”

On the farm Gary and Kim were talking with their boys, Ryan, Bruce, Tyler and Leo. Gary asked, “How are you guys doing with the tiny book called “The Life Book” you get to give to others?

Bruce answered, “I’m impressed with the book. I read through the whole thing and I think it’s very well done.”

“Same here,” agreed Ryan, “the comments written along with the scriptures make it an interesting book to read.”

“Ditto,” said Tyler, “and I’ve been pleasantly surprised at how many kids agree to take it and read it.”

So have I,” and Leo added, “and I like the way we get to talk about it and answer questions during lunch with many of the kids.”

Kim remarked, “It sounds like an effective way to reach even more students than you could without it. Plus I think it’s amazing for the Gideons International group to provide them free of charge to churches and youth groups so the young people can hand out as many as they can.”

“Right,” continued Gary, “and they would even send them here to the farm and ranch, but it’s probably cheaper for them to send them all to the church and have the youth leaders pick up as many as they need.”

Tyler went on, “I agree and I like writing the guy’s name on the first page and a little paragraph to encourage him to read the book.”

“Brilliant idea, Tyler,” said Bruce, “I will start doing the same thing. If I have the paragraph already written all I have to do is put his name there before I hand it to him.”

Leo mentioned, “Having a book to give to someone makes it easier to start talking to him.”

Ryan humbly remarked, “I'm happy to say that one of the guys told me he had prayed the prayer in the book and I was able to give him one of the new believers booklets. He will try to get his family to come with him to church this weekend. I’ll wait for them in he entryway, and I need to get a note to Pastor Don that there will be unbelievers in the congregation if they come.”

“Praise the Lord!” Kim exclaimed.

Hugo, Ellie, Jose and Lisa and the family were near Wild Mint Lake observing the community garden.

Karen explained, “Jose and Hugo, this garden was planted and is tended by the people living in the upper level of houses here on the ranch. There wasn’t room on the hillside for gardens near their houses.”

“This is growing very well,” commented Hugo, “and it looks like they’ve planted vegetables at different times so they will ripen in succession instead of all at once.”

Karen replied, “Yes, we learned to do it that way from Vera, who grew up on the farm where you live. Her brother owns the farm now”

“Wow! How interesting!”Jose exclaimed and then added, “The vegetables look healthy and well cared for.”

“Thank you both for the compliments,” Karen responded and added, “Vera taught me first and then the two of us taught the people on the hillside.”

Ellie went on, “Mom taught us four girls a lot about gardening also, and I especially like to watch vegetables grow.”

Lisa commented, “I like that also, plus it’s fun to pick flowers and arrange them for table center pieces. I enjoyed the wildflower bouquet that was on the table when we were at your home for lunch.”

“I’m glad you liked it,” said Jose.

Ellie inserted, “I’ve always been fascinated with the way the vegetables were growing in the farm gardens when we went to the farm on field trips.”

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“I really like farming,” Hugo remarked, “and I’ve learned a lot from my dad. I’ll continue to learn as I work for apprentice wages on the farm, while I’m eighteen because I’ll have even more time.”

Ellie stated, “I think it’s great that you will be doing and learning about a job you enjoy. Lisa and I are working at the Local Grocery, and we’re learning a lot there.”

“Right” agreed Lisa, “and we get pretty good wages, so we can save all but the tithe to buy things needed for an apartment and money for the rent.”

During this time Karen was thinking, “Lisa and Ellie are about the same size. Ellie’s hair is long and light brown and Hugo’s is short and dark brown. They make a good looking couple also.”

That day when Hugo and Jose got home from the ranch, Felix told them, “I talked to the boss today, about the game room, and he informed me that he had already been considering adding a large game room to the farm. He remembers how nice they are from the times he and his wife have visited his sister, Vera and her husband, who own the ranch. He’s going to get some bids from construction companies and choose one to build it.”

“Hurrah!” Jose exclaimed. “I’m glad to know there will be a nice game room here on the farm for you and Hugo and all the boys.”

Oralie read the next part of “Choose Your Examples” to their boys.

Karen and William sent a few emails back and forth and decided it would be good to use verses from Matthew and the other Gospels to teach the girls and boys more about Jesus and the way he desires for people to live.

Karen started one of her lessons by saying, “Jesus has been called the best teacher of all time. He was able to make things easy to understand and he taught with authority as it says in Mathew 7:29. He taught about many different subjects. Since all you girls now believe in Jesus, it would be an especially good idea for you to learn how Jesus wants people to live. Please write down all the references we use today, because you’ll need them for your homework.”

They all nodded, and she continued, “Please find Matthew 5:13-16, and follow along as I read it. You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt has lost its savor how can it be useful. It is good for nothing, but to be thrown out … You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick so it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

Sara mentioned, “I’ve tasted the last bit of salt in the bottom of a salt shaker, and it doesn’t have much flavor left. We usually throw it in the trash and start over with fresh salt, so I can see what he meant about the salt.”

One of the other girls nodded, “I agree, and I can’t imagine anyone putting a candle under anything! It could start a fire!”

“That’s for sure!” Kim concurred. “I like the idea of a city on a hill. At night with all the lights on, it would be like a Christmas tree decorated with all clear lights.”

June added, “Yes, and it could easily help a night traveler know he was going the right direction.”

Another girl stated, “I’m glad we don’t have to use candles. Electricity works so much better, but I get the point of these verses. We believers are suppose to be salt and light to our worlds.”

“All of you are right,” agreed Karen. “Now look in the center references and see if you can find a verse or more to go along with any of these.” She gave them time.

Candy suggested, “Parts of Philippians 2:14-16a might be good. I’ll read them. Do all things without murmurings and disputing, so that you will be blameless and harmless, the children of God without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, as you shine as lights in the world, holding out the word of life.”

A girl giggled, “Good job, Candy, the center reference for your verse 15 goes right back to the Matthew verses.” The rest of them nodded.

Then Kim said, “I found a verse about salt in Mark 9:50. It says, Salt is good, but if it has lost it saltiness, how will it season? Have salt in yourselves and have peace with each other. I’m not sure if it means having salt in us will cause peace or maybe the other way around, or both.”

“I’m not sure either, Kim,” replied Karen, “but it’s a good verse.”

June remarked, “I just looked up Luke 14:34,35 and it’s much the same as the Matthew verses. The center references for them go back to the others we’ve already read.”

“Good job, girls,” Karen commended. “Now you know how to use the center references in your Bible. Let’s see if there’s anything different in the concordance. Try looking up salt first.”

 

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Candy declared, “I don’t think those are very helpful for this study. The ones in the Old Testament don’t go with it and the others are the ones we already read, except for the one in James, which is about salt water.”

Sara agreed, “True, but on my way to find ‘salt’ I noticed ‘seasoned’ in Colossians 4:6, and looked it up. It says, Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer everyone.”

“It’s a good verse,” June concurred, “I wonder why it was not included in the verses for ‘salt’?”

Karen admitted, “I wonder the same thing. Now let’s look up light as a noun and see if we can find anything helpful.”

One girl said, “I like the first part of Psalm 27:1, The LORD is my light and my salvation. But it doesn’t really go with this study.”

“You’re right,” Karen tacked on, “but I like that verse also.”

Sara suggested, “Psalm 37:5,6a says, Commit your way to the LORD, trust in him and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth your righteousness as the light… Maybe our righteousness from Jesus could be the light we are shining.”

“I like your idea,” commented Kim. “Also, John 3:19-21 is very interesting, because it says, this is the condemnation, that light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he who does truth comes to the light, so his deeds may be made manifest, to show they are formed in God.”

Karen concurred, “Both of those scriptures make good points. Also, I just looked up John 8:12, where Jesus says, ‘I am the light of the world. He who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.’ I think he wants us to give the same light to our worlds, which are the places where we live and have influence.”

The girls nodded in agreement.

“Wow!” exclaimed Candy. “I just read Ephesians 5:8-17 and it’s long but has a lot to say about light and dark and the right way to live. I’ll read just the first verse. For you were in darkness, but now you are light in the Lord, so walk as children of light.”

Karen nodded emphatically, “For sure, Candy. Everybody else please read the rest of those verses to yourselves at home. And your homework is to study them and all the verses we’ve read today, again at home and think about what was said here today. Write at least one paragraph about what these scriptures mean for believers. At our next meeting, bring it and be ready to share it with a girl not in your family. Then loan it to me because I’d like to read all of them.”

The girls worked hard on their paragraphs and Karen liked them all. At the next meeting, she commended them for a job well done when she gave their papers back.

Karen continued teaching girls on the ranch using verses from the four gospels and cross-references to other books in the Bible. She also introduced the idea of using the colored pencils she had given them to highlight parts of their Bibles using a color code, like for God use purple for royalty, for Proverbs use red for bad things and green for good. Choose other colors for other things.

When Oralie finished, she said,”The end of this lesson.”

Levi remarked, “Karen’s idea sounds colorful.”

“I agree,” and Daniel added, “and those pencils work well in the Bible and the colors don’t show on the other side of the pages.

“Yes,” Cory stated, “and her homework sounds like good homework for us boys to do also. We could learn a lot from those scriptures about how Jesus wants us to live.”

“True,” Kevin agreed, “and then we could read our paragraphs to each other and take notes on things we didn’t include in the one we wrote.”

Max exclaimed, “Good idea! Let’s go for it!”

A church in Pine City was sending a group from their congregation to plant a church in another city because their congregation was getting rather large. The church plant group had been chosen from volunteers who were dedicated and getting ready to move. They became a small group who would learn and plan together.

The group would take all of the little booklets and short books in PDF format to either make copies to give to people, or send as PDF files to the people’s email’s so they can read them on their monitors and then they could make copies for themselves if they so desired.

The booklets and short books are a way to teach the new believers, who result from their efforts, how to live. Then the new believers can go out and bring in more believers and continue the cycle of teaching

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them how to live for Jesus and go out and win more. As the cycle is repeated, the Good News is spread more rapidly. One couple might be able to get a church started, but it is much faster with a church plant group, led by a pastor and as many people as he wants to have in the group.

When the people sell their houses and get moved to the new city and get jobs they will continue meeting as a small group in their homes and start going out in teams of two or more to share the Good News and invite people to believe in Jesus as their Savior. As they start to grow they will divide into more small groups and continue to meet in homes. For united weekend services they could meet in a large home. When the congregation got too big for a home, they could meet in a park if the weather would permit. For baptismal services they could use private home pools or even public swimming pools.

They had found a good faith based, Christian Curriculum on the web for preschool through third grade by looking up Bible based home school curriculum. When they had enough families in their new church, they could start day care homes to include those grades. This is also a way to take care of children in the church while parents are working. By doing this, no school building needed to be built.

Other outreaches could be done, such as the Wednesday children's groups for public school children who have early release those days. Workers who stock shelves can be alert to catch and redirect shoplifters and gang members. Some people can learn how to have Caring Foster Homes for those children who needed them. The pastor and his congregation would be alert to other needs in the community and try to provide for those needs.

All the people would need to cooperate and work together to make this church plant operate the way it was intended to work. A summary of Philippians 2:2-5 says to, Be like-minded, … have love, be of one accord, of one mind. … Do nothing through strife or with boasting, but in humility, esteem others, and care about them. Let the mind of Jesus be in you. And in John 17:21, Jesus prayed for all believers, that they all may be one, as you, Father, are in me, and I am in you, that they also may be one in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

New believers would need to be taught in small groups, so members would need to volunteer and be trained to be facilitators of new believer small groups. Every person going with the church plant group would need to agree with the plans and be willing to work very hard. It would not be just moving to a different city and getting new jobs. It would be doing everything possible to make the church plant a success and see many people brought into the family of God. In essence, it would be a missionary project. The main reason to have church plants is to do as Jesus commissioned his followers to do in Matthew 28:19,20, Go therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Teach them to observe all things that I have commanded you… I am with you always even unto the end of the world.

They would be very successful, because Jesus would be right there helping every person do his best to cooperate, encourage each other, and work together to win as many people to Jesus as possible. They would follow the instructions in Romans 15:5b,6, which says, Be like-minded toward one another according to Christ Jesus, so that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The congregations in the Pine City Grace ’n’ Faith churches would continue to send out more church planting groups as they grew large enough to do it.

One day, the four young men who had been adopted by William and Anna Beckett were talking on their phones together as a conference call in the evening. It was the best way for all of them to get to talk as a group about once a month, since three of them have four foster children apiece. After each one gave a summary of how he was doing they would choose other topics.

This time Carlos mentioned, “I was thinking today about the difference of being adopted into the Beckett family with no inheritance, and God adopting us as believers who became coheirs with Jesus. And I realized that as believers we can sing the song, ‘I’m a Child of the King.’

“Indeed,” Gary remarked, “I like the way that song tells about God’s compassion and how he changed us from poor and lost to being his child. I agree, there is a big difference between the two adoptions. We knew before Dad and Mom adopted us that we would not get an inheritance from them, and that didn’t bother me. I’m sure my birth parents won’t leave me an inheritance either. But being eternal joint-heirs with Jesus far outweighs anything this earth could offer to us!”

Sam agreed, “I think so too. Plus, we don’t need an inheritance here on this earth, since we all have good jobs and I wouldn’t want Dad and Mom to die just so we could have some money. I’d rather get to enjoy them often while we all live.

 

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“Very well put, Sam!” Evan exclaimed. “I feel like I’m very blessed, since I get to live on the same ranch as Dad and Mom do and our two families get to go horseback riding occasionally. Or I can drop in and talk to them once in a while also.”

Carlos added, “I really like it when Dad and Mom come to see me at the cattle ranch where I work. They come at noontime and usually bring me a delicious lunch to eat along with them. Mom is such a good cook, and we get to have a nice visit while I’m on my lunch hour.”

“How nice for you, Carlos,” declared Sam. “I like being able to drive up and see them sometimes after supper since I’m single. I also get to go horseback riding with their new family and Jason’s family too, if he happens to be there.”

Gary remarked, “Since we live on the farm, it’s only a ten minute drive, so they come to see us one day during each week just after all our boys and their girls get on the school bus. We get to visit for about half an hour before Kim and I have to go do our farm jobs.

“I’m glad all four of us get to see our adoptive parents on a regular basis, stated Evan. “I especially like what William has said about us several times, ‘We are happy with what our adopted boys are doing. You are all a credit to the Beckett name and all of you are serving Jesus.’ I feel really good about it.”

The others agreed and the four of them continued conversing about other topics.

“This next part of ‘Choose Your Examples’ is very interesting and important,” stated Greg.

On the farm William began one of the Bible study times for the boys by asking, “How do you react when someone hits you?”

Pedro answered, “I hit him right back, I don’t want to be called a sissy!”

“No,” agreed Luis, “but then you both just continue hitting until both of you have bloody noses or black eyes or both, or you end up in the principal’s office in double trouble.”

Pedro nodded, “Yeah, you’re right.

William smiled and nodded. “Please find Matthew 5:38,39, and follow along as I read it. Jesus said, You have heard that it has been said, an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth, but I say to you, do not resist evil, if someone hits you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. Think about it carefully. In my opinion, it would take more courage to turn the other cheek than to hit back.”

Jose shared, “For me, it would be easier to turn and run away. I can’t imagine offering my other cheek to him. He’d probably really hit it hard.”

“He might,” concurred William, “but on the other hand, it might surprise him and diffuse his anger. I’ve never had the unwelcome opportunity to try it. Put a bookmark in this Matthew chapter and find Romans 12:19-21 and read it aloud with me. Dearly beloved, don’t avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath, for it is written, vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the LORD. Therefore if your enemy is hungry, feed him, if he is thirsty, give him a drink, for in so doing you shall heap coals of fire on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

A boy stated, “This would be even harder for me to do! But I guess Jesus never said that living for him would be easy.”

“Precisely!” exclaimed William. “My center reference has Proverbs 25:21,22 and they say almost the same thing. Now let’s go back to Matthew 5 and please read verses 43-46 to yourselves.”

Hugo declared, “It just gets harder! I’m supposed to love my enemies and do good to them and pray for them so I can be a child of my Father in heaven.”

“Good summary of those verses, Hugo,” complimented William. “The verses we’ve read so far make very good goals for us. Now let’s look at Matthew 7:12 and read it together. Therefore, whatever you would like others to do to you, do it to them, for this is the law and the prophets.”

Another boy mentioned, “Luke 6:31 says almost the same thing.”

“Yes it does,” William concurred. “Many people call it the Golden Rule. As we end this lesson today, listen to Psalm 103:8,10. The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in mercy. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. He definitely treats us the way he desires for us to treat others.”

When Greg finished this segment he said, “The End.”

“I noticed that many of the things Jesus said to do in this lesson are very hard for us boys to do,” said Daniel.

Greg responded, “Yes they are, and without a doubt, they are hard for adults to do also.”

Kevin prayed, “Jesus, please help us to do the things you taught people to do when you were living here on this earth.”

“Yes, please do,” Cory agreed, “and thank you that we can do all things through you, Jesus, who gives us strength, as I personalized Philippians 4:13.”

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Levi continued, “Especially help us to follow the ‘Golden Rule’ in Matthew and Luke.”

“I agree, and thank you that you are merciful and have forgiven all our sins. Amen.” concluded Max.

Since Jose and Lisa and Hugo and Ellie were all getting acquainted at the same time, their families also got a chance to do things together, so it was a fun experience for all of them. One day they all went hiking on the hillsides near the farm. The families found a comfortable place to sit so they could visit.

Ellie mentioned, “This is very much like the view from our trails on the hillsides at the ranch, except that when I look down here, I see lots of crops growing and no horses.”

“I agree, Lisa went on, “and both places have good views of the mountains.”

Jose continued, “I really like the view of the mountains because I can look at them and they help me relax after a day of work.”

“I feel the same way about them,” agreed Hugo, “and I’m glad you’ve gotten to see them at the ranch.”

Felix commented, “This whole valley is a very peaceful place to live and raise a family, even though there’s more work to do here than in the city.”

“Definitely,” Sunny added, “and I like watching the crops grow and then getting to help make them ready to send to the stores.”

Ellie asked, “Is it hard work to get them ready?”

“It’s not really hard, but I do get tired,” answered Sunny. “We just wipe or wash the dust or dirt off and arrange them in their traveling boxes. I especially like it when we sing praise songs as we work.”

“What a nice idea!” Ellie declared, “I enjoy singing and I’m sure it must sound great with so many women working and singing.”

Hugo inserted, “It does sound very good. We boys get to hear them as we bring in parts of the harvest for them to prepare.”

Jeff stated, “It reminds me of when I’m working on building the new houses and I hear Karen and our girls singing as they’re washing vegetables from the little gardens on the ranch. The other men and I often join in the singing.”

Karen concurred, “Singing helps make the work go faster and easier, and it gives us a chance to praise our Lord and Master.”

When they got back to their home on the ranch, Karen was alone with Lisa in the kitchen. Lisa remarked, “Mom, I’ve been wondering and worrying about you and how hard you work every day. If Jose and I do get married and get to live on the ranch, is there any chance that I might be able to take over your gardening jobs on the lower level and maybe Vera’s also, since I’ve noticed how hard it’s getting for her to get up and down off the ground?”

“Thank you Lisa, for being such a caring daughter,” responded Karen. “I’m grateful that you are so observant and have come up with an idea to help us. As a matter of fact Vera and I were talking about the same thing several months ago. So yes, there is a good chance, because your dad and I had her put our names on the waiting list for the lower level of the fourth house, so that we could move up there and I would be closer to the new game room on the lower level of the big house where I could teach all the new girls. The rest of the girls on the ranch can also come for their classes to that room, because it will make it a lot easier for me.”

Lisa exclaimed, “Oh, Mom, it sounds perfect for you, except if you have to keep coming down the hill to do all the gardening!”

“Exactly,” concurred Karen, “so Oscar and Vera are looking for someone to do all the gardening on the lower level so that I can resign and she can retire. Since I’ll have more girls and more classes, I will still earn the same wages. All the gardening would be the job of the wife in the family who would live in our vacated house and it would pay her wages. Now we can go ask them if you and Jose could be on the list for this house if you actually do get married and still want to raise foster girls here on this ranch.”

“Perfect!” Lisa exclaimed, but then humbly admitted, “As far as I’m concerned, I feel very sure right now, but only God knows for certain. I’ve had this desire ever since I was a junior in high school. I really would like to serve Jesus this way as a ministry, and do for other girls the wonderful things you’ve done for me. Plus the man I marry could be a good dad like my dad is here. So far I’m impressed with Jose.”

“So am I, so let’s continue praying for God’s will to be done and for him to work out things the way he knows best,” Karen concluded.

Greg explained, “In this next part of ‘Choose Your Examples,’ a farm family is reviewing a lesson the boys had heard.”

 

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Felix and Sunny asked their foster boys to tell what they learned in William’s group during the week. William had asked Felix to record it so it could go in the short book. The boys got their Bibles and notebooks and used them as references.

Luis answered, “We had a very interesting lesson this week about The Sermon on the Mount. William began by reading the Beatitudes found in Matthew 5:3-12.”

Hugo continued, “Then he reviewed the lessons he had done earlier about salt and light and about not taking revenge, but to love our enemies in verses 13-16, 38-40, and 43-47.”

Jose commented, “He doesn’t go verse by verse, but chooses ones that are most useful to us right now. Like he summarized verses 1-4 of chapter 6 like this. Don’t give donations in order to be seen by others, but do them in secret so your Father in heaven will see and reward you,”

Sunny stated, “I like that summary. William makes it easier to understand.”

Luis added, “Yeah he does. He used a cross-reference to Matthew 16:27b where Jesus said, his Father would reward every man according to his works.

Pedro went on, “He said we can use the Lord’s prayer in chapter 6 verses 9-13, as a pattern for our prayers, and not just say it from memory all the time. He also stressed that it’s important to forgive others.”

Jose backtracked, “I just noticed in my notes, at the beginning of the lesson, William said ‘The words of Jesus are very important, and that’s why our church always buys red letter editions of the Bible with all of Jesus’ words printed in red so they’re easily found.’ I’m glad the church gave each of us boys on the farm a Bible we get to keep, from the church’s used Bibles. Levi told me that the boys and girls in the church school have Bibles given to them in second grade.”

“Indeed,” Felix agreed, “it is very generous of them, and you boys are making good use of them.”

Sunny inserted, “In John 14:26b Jesus said that the Holy Spirit will teach you all things and help you remember whatever I have said to you. That would include all his words in red in your New Testament. But we have to read them before he can remind us of them.”

“I agree,” and then Hugo suggested, “let’s all sing ‘Wonderful Words of Life,’ together, and then we can each look up a verse we like containing something Jesus said.”

“Good idea,” stated Felix and then after they sang, he read John 6:35, “ I am the bread of life. He who comes to me shall never hunger, and he who believes on me shall never thirst.”

“I like that verse,” and then Jose observed, “John 10:37,38 are good proof of Jesus being the Son of God. They say, If I do not do the works of my Father, don’t believe me. But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, then believe the works, so that you may know and believe that the Father is in me and I am in him.”

“I think so too,” and Pedro went on, “I like John 11:25 where Jesus told Martha, I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me, though he were dead yet shall he live.

Hugo shared, “Yes, and I like Luke 4:43b where Jesus said, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also, for therefore am I sent.”

“I like it also,” said Luis, “because it shows that Jesus knew his mission. In Matthew 22:32 Jesus said about God, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. I like it because it proves the resurrection of the dead.”

“Good verses everybody,” and then Sunny remarked, “In Matthew 14:27b Jesus said, Be of good cheer. It is I, do not be afraid. Those are such comforting words! This has been a very good Bible study for us today.”

At the end of the section Greg stated, “I liked this part a lot.”

“So did I,” agreed Cory, “I thought it was a good idea for the family to review it at home.”

“Definitely,” Daniel declared, “and then they sang a song that went so well with the lesson and even added some more scriptures on their own afterward.”

Kevin commented, “We’ve done the same thing with at least one of these lessons.”

Max said, “And we found songs to go with one of the lessons,”

Levi concluded, “I'd like for us to get our guitars and sing the same one they sang to go with this lesson.” So they did.

For the Resurrection Day / Easter week trip for Vern’s and Frank’s families got an early start and drove to the location where the old Dewey Bridge used to be. It has dispersed camping areas where they found a place they could both set up their trailers and maybe go invite some of the other campers to a meeting. If nobody came, they could look for opportunities to have meaningful conversations at view points or other places of interest.

One day they went to see La Boca Arch and other formations in the same area. It was fun to climb up inside the arch and sit for a while looking out.

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Lora exclaimed, “This is a great view, looking out from inside an arch, and this wasn’t even a hard climb! I’m glad we get the opportunity to go on such fun trips with our friends.”

“We’re happy you’re able to travel with us,” responded Becky, “and it’s great that you enjoy this kind of trip.”

They had found an easy graded road to reach this very photogenic arch. There is another way to get to the arch but it is much harder. These two couples prefer the easier way if it’s available. The easier way also has some old mining cabins built out of railroad ties. The cabins are still in good shape and it was fun to see them and think about what life must have been like in them.

The same day they went to the Caves Spring area and were able to get very close to the “caves.” There were beautiful rock colors and deep alcoves. The area was still being used for watering cattle.

The next day it looked like it might rain, so they agreed to try Top of the World Trail until the road got too rough, hoping maybe to see the view point at its end, but the road did get too rough. Another four-wheel vehicle ahead of them had broken something trying to go up one of the hard places. So they went back the way they had come, and found a nice place to eat their lunches with a view.

There were some even better views on the way back, with juniper and pinyon pine trees and wild flowers blooming. Later they went on a pretty smooth gravel road. It followed a stunning canyon to a pretty iron gate near the Delores River. What a beautiful drive it was!

Another day they drove the Kokopelli Trail on the other side of the Colorado River. First they stopped at a perfect overlook of the Colorado River and Highway 128 far below them. Then they enjoyed the rock colors and formations along the four-wheel drive road, where they were able to find Porthole Arch. It took only a short hike following the washes and slickrock to get up to a view through the opening to the sky. It’s in a large, pretty alcove.

After supper Becky commented, “It was very special to look up at Porthole Arch along with all the surroundings, including a ‘bouquet’ of barrel cactus blossoms and take pictures of it all. I can see why they called it Porthole Arch, because it’s round like the porthole window in the side of a ship.”

“Yes indeed,” agreed Lora, “and next we saw Squaw Window. It has such a pretty shape and it’s high in the cliff at one side of a deep alcove that looks like a band shell.”

Becky commented, “There’s no way we could climb up into either of those arches.”

“Absolutely!” Vern declared and then added, “and Squaw Window can only be seen from a certain portion of the four-wheel drive road. Plus later we parked at a spectacular viewpoint of the La Sal Mountains and Fisher Towers, where we got to eat lunch in our vehicles during a short rain shower.”

“And speaking about spectacular,” Frank went on, “La Boca Arch, which we got to see the first day after we got here, is now among my favorites! But of course I have many favorites. This whole area has a lot of beauty for us to enjoy.”

The next day they stopped to see and hike around the Fisher Towers area where there is a small campground, and then they drove up the Onion Creek road with its its many creek crossings as you go up the canyon. They counted crossing the creek 27 times, but the crossings were easy ones. The creek didn’t have much water in it and there were a couple bridges. The creek has cut a deep canyon, but the road was pretty good. The scenery was amazing. There was a delightful eroded area with many pretty colors. There were lots of interesting formations. It was good that the snow had melted off enough so they could get all the way through to the Castle Valley Road and then they drove back up Highway 128 to their camp site.

Another day they drove through Moab and went on the Cane Creek Road to the trailhead for the hike up Hunter Canyon so they could find Hunter Arch, which is very big and very pretty. This canyon is special because it has a little stream in it with a few miniature waterfalls. They ate lunch where they could see the arch and a little waterfall.

The same evening they talked about how wonderful it had been to have campsite meetings every evening, even if it was with different people each time. They used the same songs and scriptures as they had used last year at Easter time. The people all took the pamphlets and promised to call next week with questions and time to talk.

The next day they drove back to their homes in Pine City.

 

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