Rejoice as the Sun Shines on Restorations by Linda L. Linn - HTML preview

Rejoice as the Sun Shines on Restorations

Linda L. Linn

Revised edition of June, 2022

Preview

 Esther Beckett is in for the surprise of her life.  She thinks she still desires to get married, but she might be embarking on the biggest adventure she can imagine if she decides she can trust these men.  But who are these men and what are their intentions?

 Come and spend some more time in Pine City so you can find out.  You will also meet an older couple who are still very much in love, and have a deep yearning to see the restoration of lives and

to leave a legacy.  Renew acquaintances with some of the people in the Grace ‘n’ Faith Church who were in Book One of the Sunshine Series.

  This is an inspirational romance novel and it’s the sequel to “Everywhere There’s a Sunrise, Let’s Tell the Good News!”  The prologue of this story occurred before Book One.  The rest takes place concurrently, or after the events in Book One.

 If you haven’t read “Everywhere There’s a Sunrise, Let’s Tell the Good News!” yet, it would probably be most helpful for you to read it before your read this novel, “Rejoice as the Sun Shines on Restorations,” because it refers to many of the characters and happenings in that story.  Each is available to buy from thebookpatch.com.  Or get each of them as ebooks or PDF files, free of charge from free-ebooks.net, at the same time and then read them in the right order.

Introduction

 This is a work of fiction, except for the Bible Scriptures, which are God's Word and are therefore true.  No person in this novel exists in real life except for God the Father, God the Son, (also known as Jesus, the Messiah), and God the Holy Spirit.  All the characters, places and events in this novel are fictitious.  Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or to actual events is purely coincidental.  Many things in the story, and especially the miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit can really happen.  

 This novel is meant for adults, not children, although with parental guidance, it has parts children might learn from or enjoy.

 Scriptures are shown by italics, and are this author's paraphrase of the King James Version of the Holy Bible.  I chose the King James Version because it has no copyright.  Basically, what I do is to change words like "thee" and "ye" to "you", "thy" to "your", take the "eth," etc. off words, and sometimes use synonyms, to make it sound like more modern English.  You can do the same thing as you read the suggested old hymns in a hymnal.

 The author encourages you to look up these scriptures in your preferred Bible translation and read them there also.  The Psalms, hymns and spiritual songs chosen for this novel really do have meaningful words and teachings.  I encourage you to look up each hymn and spiritual song in a hymnal or songbook.  If you don’t have a hymnal or a songbook, try looking up the title of the song on a web to find the lyrics.

 There is a list of the characters in this story in the addendum at the end of this novel.  It might help you to keep track of who is who as you go along.  If you decide to print the novel from a PDF file, you can use a regular bookmark to keep track of where you stop.  If you are reading it off the computer screen, just write down the page number where you stop reading.  If you are using an ebook viewer, for an ebook, it should have an electronic bookmark.

All rights reserved.  No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission.

Readers, please be aware that Internet Web sites offered as citations and/or sources for further information may have been changed or disappeared between the time this was written and the time it is read.

About the Author

 The author, Linda L. Linn, has lived in Colorado all her life.  She has believed in, and loved Jesus since she was a young child.  When not doing housework, cooking or baking, she likes to play the piano, write stories, sew, and read.  She also enjoys travel and photography.  

 Before she retired, she enjoyed teaching first, second, and third graders in the public school system for 27 years.  She and her husband, Richard, have traveled to see much of God’s beautiful creation in the western United States.  They are presently living in Montrose, Colorado.  She hopes you enjoy this novel,

Dedication

This novel is dedicated with gratitude to

the one and only Almighty God

for his love, the plan of salvation,

 and for the way he restores the people he created

if they will believe in, and accept Jesus as their Savior.

Prologue

Early November

 Early Saturday morning, Ruth and Esther Beckett were riding in the back of the family van, both looking out the same windows but for different reasons.

 Ruth stated, “I can hardly wait to get around the last corner and see our first view of the beautiful valley and the Yardley Dude Ranch where we get to spend the weekend.”

 Esther exclaimed, “I want to see the Mendoza's van so I’ll know if those two handsome boys will be here this weekend!”

 “Which one will you have a crush on this time?” asked Ruth.

 “That depends on how much Felix teases me and whether Nathan will be less shy this time,” Esther explained.

 Ruth smiled and nodded, “Oh, there it is!  It’s just as pretty as it always is no matter what season we come here.”

 “I agree.  I’ve never been able to choose a favorite season.  Oh, I see it!  Their van is here and the boys will probably be here too!” stated Esther excitedly.

 Jason smiled as he sat in the middle seat of the van listening to his sisters.  Since his age was half way between the two of them, he had heard lots of interesting conversations.

 Their parents William and Anna heard all of this one also as they sat in the front seat.  William took his eyes off the road for a second to smile at his dear wife who nodded and smiled back.  In a short time they had reached their reserved cabin and they all got out to stretch and take their suitcases inside.

 It was only about a twenty minute drive from their home in Pine City, but it was on a winding road that took them up one side of a long mesa and then part way down the other side into the lower end of the dude ranch.  It brought them to a completely different world than the one in the city.  The ranch buildings were at the upper end of the valley and there were acres and acres of pastures.

 Anna asked, “What would you like to do first, Esther, since we’re celebrating your graduation from high school.”

 “Go horseback riding of course!” she declared.  “But let’s go greet Oscar and Vera Yardley and any of their guests in the big house first.”  So they walked over there.

 Just then, Oscar opened the door and said, “Welcome!  Come in and join all of us for some hot herbal tea and visit with everyone.”

 They went inside and William said, “Hi, everyone.  It’s good to see all of you again.”

 They all had a nice visit and then Anna invited, “We’re going for a horseback ride.  Would any of you like to join us?”

 All of them decided to go riding and they met at the pasture to choose the horses they wished to ride.  Each person enjoyed getting reacquainted with his or her favorite mount by walking up to it and talking while rubbing its forehead or stroking its neck.  Then the halter was put on, lead rope attached, and the horse was led to the tack room where it was tied and brushed, the hooves were cleaned and the saddle and bridle were put on easily.  Everyone had a nice ride in the cool, fresh, morning air.  Then they all groomed the horses again, took them back to the pasture, and then cleaned the tack.  Horseback riding on this dude ranch was more than just the ride!

 Later in the day, the young people hiked up the hillside to see Lavender Falls.  Since it was autumn, it had less water and didn’t make a loud roar, but it was still spectacular!  Most of the wild flowers were already finished blooming.

 Felix asked, “Esther, how would you like a refreshing shower?”

 She replied, “No, thank you.”  Then she walked away with a frown, thinking that he was still just a big tease.

 After lunch they went rowing on Wild Mint Lake in some flat-bottomed boats.  Esther ended up in a boat with Nathan.  He was polite and helpful, but had very little to say.  It was a nice, peaceful time though.  She could hear Felix teasing Ruth who laughed it off and wasn’t bothered by it.  Jason had stayed on the shore and helped them all when they returned.

 The next morning they played croquet on the big lawn by the guest house.  Then in the afternoon, all of the young people took one more horseback ride and they all rode different horses than yesterday. Since the ranch was at the upper end of the valley, it bordered on public land.  The dude ranch owners had gotten permission for them and their guests to go horseback riding on that land.  The horses were all trained to cooperate with the rider on its back as the gate was opened and closed.  But they decided to not go there today.  Instead they stayed in the valley, and were close to one of the hillsides made by the mesas that flanked the pretty valley of the dude ranch.

 About half way through the ride something spooked the horse Esther was riding and it ran away with her.  She gave a little gasp and then remembered what Vera had told her to do if that ever happened.  She turned the horse so it would go uphill and then urged it to go even faster.  After a short time it got tired out, so it stopped easily when she said “Whoa” and pulled on the reins.

 Meanwhile Nathan and Felix had both quickly followed Esther to see if they could help her get the horse stopped.  When they reached her, she had already stopped the horse and was stroking it’s neck, talking soothingly to quiet it down and get it ready to walk back to the ranch.

 Nathan asked her, “Are you all right?”

 Esther smiled and nodded.  “Yes, thank you both for coming to help me.”

 They both said she was welcome and all of them rode slowly back to the ranch.

 Later that afternoon when all of them were getting ready to go home, they said their usual, “See you next time!”  None of them realized that their times to visit the dude ranch would not coincide in the future.

Chapter 1

Philippians 4:13, I can do all things through Jesus who gives me strength.

About nine years later in Pine City

 The first Monday in January, Esther Beckett arrived early at her new small group.  It appeared to have several other singles along with various couples.  Two exceptionally good looking young men were in attendance, and she thought they were probably single, since no women were sitting next to them.   She immediately decided to use her newly honed observational skills and things she had learned last year to find out as much as she could about them during small group times.  Since she still desired to be married, she was patiently praying that if it would be God's will, he would bring just the right man into her life to be her husband.  Maybe it would be one of those two.

 Esther looked their way from time to time and a faded memory came into her mind.  She thought, “I know both of them from someplace in the past, but I can’t remember where or when.”  She kept racking her brain and almost missed the opening comments.  She had brought a notebook to write down the names of all the people who would be in this small group for the coming calendar year.  So she opened it and was ready to write, and to introduce herself when the time came.

 “Welcome everyone!  We’ll begin with introductions.  Please tell us your first and last names, where you work, and how long you have been living in Pine City,” the facilitator instructed.  Then he started the introductions with himself.  “I’m Jeff Spencer.  I work for Evans Construction Company, and have lived in Pine City for 11 years.  Next is my wonderful wife.”

 She smiled, “Hi, I’m Karen Spencer, and I work at Subs are Great.  I have also lived here for 11 years.”

 He motioned for one of the two young men to be next, and Esther was careful to write down all the information for him and the one next to him.

 “Hi, I’m Felix Lucero.  I work at Valley Truck Farm, and have been living in Pine City since October.”

 “Hello, I’m Nathan Mendoza.  I work at the Yardley Dude Ranch in Mercy Valley, and have lived in Pine City since September.”

 At this point, Esther put her pen down and completely forgot to listen or write down the rest of the names.  Memories came flooding back and she had to school her features to keep from blushing and look down at her notebook to avoid staring at both of them.  She did manage to introduce herself when it was her turn.  “Hello, I'm Esther Beckett and I work with my brother, Jason in a Beckett CPA office.  I’ve lived in Pine City all my life.”

 She forced herself to sing the beautiful Psalms, hymns and spiritual songs and to at least look like she was listening to the teaching time, but she couldn’t have told you what it was about later because she was so preoccupied.  It would have helped her a lot if she had listened and concentrated on the words to the first song based on Psalm 23.  Its title was “Surely Goodness and Mercy.” During the conversational prayer time, she prayed silently for God to guide her and help her to only do his will where these two men were concerned.

 Esther had mixed emotions about the refreshment and fellowship time that was next.  In some ways she wanted to bolt like a scared horse and go home as fast as she could.  But she knew that would not solve her problem.  She had to stay and she hoped she’d be able to talk coherently and listen carefully to find out more about those men.

 After visiting with a few of the other members of the group, Esther found herself facing both of them at once, and almost could have laughed, because they both looked as nervous as she felt.  She found her voice and said, “Welcome to Pine City, Felix and Nathan.  I hope you’ll enjoy living here.  I can’t think of nicer places to work than each of you chose.”

 Felix replied, “Thank you for the welcome.  Nathan moved here first and talked me into coming to try it out for a while at least.”

 Nathan said, “Esther, it’s good to see you again.  It’s been so many years.  Would you and Ruth be able to go with the two of us to the Healthy Eating Restaurant so that we could all get caught up on what has happened in our lives since we saw each other so many years ago?”

 “Well,” she hesitated.  “I’ll ask Ruth and give you a call, if you’d like to give me your phone number,” answered Esther.

 “Good, here’s my card” he said.  “I’ll be home all evening, but we need to be leaving now.”  Felix followed him outside after they thanked the group hosts.

 “What’s your rush, Nathan?  We could have stayed and talked a little longer.  There are so many things to find out.”  But Felix hushed when he saw the look on his friend’s face.

 When they were seated in the car, Nathan answered, “I was just afraid that we might scare her away, and we’ve only just found her!”

 “I understand.  She’s even more beautiful than she was as a teen when we first met her.  I think she might be a little taller and her shiny black hair is shorter, but very attractively cut and styled.  And of course she has developed into a very shapely woman!” Felix stated.

 “You’re right on every point.  I sure hope Ruth will agree to go with us to dinner, because I know Esther would never go with us alone.  Do you think we did the right thing by leaving our good jobs and moving here when we found out where she lived?” Nathan asked.

 “Sure.  How else will we ever find out what we want to know without being here?” he replied.

 “You make it sound clandestine,” Nathan worried.

 Felix snorted.  “You know what I mean.  But I guess it might look that way to her.  I have no idea how this might turn out!”

 When Esther got home that evening to the apartment she and her sister shared, she blurted out, “Guess who was in my new small group tonight, Ruth.”

 “I have no idea, but it sounds momentous,” she replied.

 Esther stated, “It is!  Ruth, do you remember that dream I told you about a couple nights ago?”

 “You mean the one about the horse that got spooked at the dude ranch and ran away with you, but you got it to turn and go up the hillside while you urged it to go even faster so you could tire it out and get it to stop?” asked Ruth.

 “Yes.  I didn’t tell you at the time about those two boys who chased after me on their horses and tried to rescue me, because I didn’t remember it right then,” said Esther a little breathlessly.

 Ruth questioned, “Are you going to say that they were both in your small group tonight?”

 Esther looked a little ashamed and admitted, “Yes, and I felt just like that horse I was riding must have felt, because when refreshment time came, I really wanted to bolt and go straight home.  But I made myself stay and talk to them.”

 “Did they remember you?” asked Ruth.

 “They did.  They remembered you also, and asked if you and I would go with them to the Healthy Eating Restaurant so we could all get caught up on what has happened in our lives since we last saw each other.  Then he gave me a card with his phone number on it so I could ask you and call him with your answer.”  Esther also explained how all the memories had come back to her after the men had introduced themselves at the beginning of the meeting.

 Ruth inquired, “Do you desire to go with them to dinner?”

 “In a way I do, and in another way I don’t.  But I’ll go, if you’ll go with me.  It’s been so many years since we’ve seen them, and I know nothing about them except that they were in the small group, and what I remember from the times we spent with them at the dude ranch.  Maybe they’ve been in church, but I didn’t notice them.  

I guess I’ll have to admit that I’m a little bit leery and mistrustful about them at this point.  I wonder if that dream was a warning, or just a coincidence, or maybe too much pizza for supper that night,” she finished and shrugged.

 “Relax, Esther.  Let’s pray.  God, we know that you’re in control and we can trust you to keep us safe even if they turn out to be con artists, or crooks.  Should we at least give them a chance to prove themselves by going with them to dinner?”

 Esther added, “Father, please calm my nerves and help us make the right decision.  You know I only want to do your will so please guide us.”

 They waited in silence for a while and then felt they should accept the invitation, so Esther called Nathan.

  After the phone call, Nathan yelled.  “Felix!  Esther called and said they’d go with us!  We have a double date for this Friday at 5:30 PM.”

 “Wow!  She really looked like she wanted to run away like that horse did with her at the ranch.  I doubted that she’d agree to go with us, but it sounds like we’re going to get our chance after all,” Felix commented as he came into the room drying his hands on a hand towel.

 “I agree about her looking like she wanted to run, and I admit that I don’t blame her, because I felt the same way.  How are we going to do this?” asked Nathan.

 “You mean, what’s our plan of attack?” teased Felix.

 “No!  How can you tease at a time like this?  I thought you had reformed,” scolded Nathan.

 “I’m sorry.  I think she brings that out in me and therefore I don’t stand a chance with her,” he apologized.

 “Forgiven, and don’t be so hard on yourself.  Remember what we agreed to do in this project, and don’t lose your good sense of humor in the process.  Now let’s decide on some good ways to find out what we need to learn in this venture,” said Nathan.

 “The first thing I plan to do is apologize for all the teasing I did when we were all at the dude ranch, and tell her that I am really trying to change.  Last year when I read the definition of ‘tease’ in the dictionary, I learned that teasing is annoying and vexes people, so I really do want to change.  But I already know that it will be tremendously hard because it’s so fun,” said Felix.

 “Change is always hard.  It’ll be hard for me to stop being so shy and instead be willing to share my feelings if it’s ever appropriate.  We’re a fine pair, aren’t we?  I don’t think I stand a chance with her, and you just admitted the same thing, so what are we doing here in Pine City?” asked Nathan throwing up his hands for emphasis.

 Felix replied, “Well, at least we’re being honest with ourselves and each other.  So let’s think through our double date.  It’s less than a week away.  Do we get to pick them up or are we meeting them at the restaurant?”

 “Esther would rather meet us there.  I think we have a long way to go to build up her confidence in either of us enough to let us pick them up or to go alone with us.  As I remember, Ruth mentioned a couple times at the ranch that she had no desire to get married.  Maybe we can find out if she meant it.  If so, maybe Ruth would agree to continue the double date idea until we have won their trust.  I have no idea how Esther feels about marriage.”

 “I don’t either, and I doubt it’s something we can just come right out and ask.  But I am glad Ruth will join us with Esther.  Do you think we need to get reservations?” asked Felix.

 “Yes.  I’m glad you thought about that.  I’ll call them right now.  After that I think it would be a good idea to pray for more guidance,” he said.

 On Tuesday when he arrived to work at the dude ranch, Nathan said to his bosses, Oscar and Vera Yardley,  “Esther was there, and she’s even more beautiful than I remembered her being.  Thank you so much for helping me to find her and for the advice to talk to Don Ross the pastor of the Church you attend!  After we told him about our plan, he agreed to arrange for us to be in the same small group as she is.  I was about ready to give up after so many years of looking.”

 “You’re welcome.  She was the younger of the two Beckett sisters wasn’t she?” asked Vera.

 “Yes, she’s the same age as Felix and I are, so she’s now 27 years old.  Ruth is probably about four years older, and Jason said he was in the middle.  I don’t remember her parents very well because we were always outside having fun as a group.  I remember rowing on the lake or skating in the winter, fishing in the stream, and especially riding horses.  I enjoy the memories of our times together here.  Well, I better get to work.  What’s the plan for today?” he asked.

 Oscar answered, “After you help Vera with the yard cleanup, I want to show you how to smooth out the riding arena.”

 “Okay, Vera, just explain to me what you wish to have done out there and I’ll get it done.  There’s no need for you to go outside in the cold this morning.  That’s what you hired me for,” said Nathan.  

 After Nathan went out to work in the yard, Vera mentioned to her husband, “He seems like a very nice young man, so grown up compared to when he was coming with his family and that friend who was such a tease.  But I have a feeling he’s still just as shy as always.  If he hadn’t been looking for a certain special girl, I don’t think he would have had the nerve to come here and ask us anything,”

 Oscar agreed and asked, “Have you had any other ideas about the topic we’ve been discussing the past few months?”

 “Yes I have,” Vera answered.  “Since we have no heirs because our two children died when they were young, we have a longing to make this ranch into more than just a dude ranch so it could be useful in God’s Kingdom now and after we die.  Our mistake is that we never get past the longing because every time we say something, we squelch it by saying, ‘we’re too old now to even try.’  Who says we’re too old to try?  Only us!  How would it work if we both write down every idea we can think of that could turn this place into something God could use.  Then we can go through each list together after we ask God to show us the best idea.”

 “I think you’re absolutely right.  Let’s do that and abolish the statement, ‘we’re too old to even try.’  We don’t have to do this on our own.  God will help us and he will show us other people who can help us make a good plan work.  We can work on our lists today and talk about them after supper cleanup tonight,” Oscar recommended.  “I’ll go get ready to go outside and show Nathan the rest of the day’s work plan.”

 “It’s a good thing you have good warm work clothes and coats since it’s so cold today!” Vera mentioned, and he nodded.

 In Pine City that same Tuesday, Esther went to Ruth's office building to join her sister, Ruth, and friend, Maria Gomez, for lunch.  As usual they went up and down the stairway for some exercise before eating since it was too cold outside to go for a walk.  

 Ruth began, “I already told Maria about the double date coming up on Friday, so let’s start with prayer as we eat.  Father in heaven, thank you for this food.  Please bless it to our bodies.  The three of us good friends are here to agree in prayer that you’ll protect us and do your will in this unbelievable situation.”

 “Yes, thank you that you are here with us and you already know what you desire to have happen.  Give us the right words to say and help us act the way you want us to act,” continued Esther.

 Maria added, “Please give both of them peace and help them continue to remember that you are in control.  Give them the right questions to ask so they can find out what they need to know about those two men.”

 After a few more minutes of praying, Ruth closed the prayer time and began to tell Maria about the dude ranch.  “While we were still in public school, our family used to go to the Yardley Dude Ranch for a weekend almost every month.  It’s in the prettiest valley you can imagine.  There’s a stream running along one side of the valley, and a smaller stream coming down the hillside to join it.  On it’s way down the hillside, the smaller stream goes through a little area with rocks, some ferns and a spectacular waterfall.  I don’t recall its name right now.”

 Esther added, “Oh yes, it was one of my favorite places and it it's called Lavender Falls.  The rocks are a light purple color until the water makes them wet.  Then they become darker, but are still lavender.  Vera planted some lavender, you know the flower they use to make perfume, and some other light purple flowers around the area, so the whole area is especially pretty and fragrant when those are in bloom.  The ranch is huge with acres and acres of pastures. There are also trails for riding horses in the valley and on the hillsides on both sides of the valley.  Horseback riding was my favorite activity, but they also have a small lake for rowboats in the spring, summer, and fall.  It freezes smooth in the winter and is great for ice skating.”

 “It sounds idyllic!  I’d like to be able to see it sometime,” said Maria.  “Is it a place that requires reservations?”

 Esther looked over at Ruth who nodded so she said, “We were going to keep this as a surprise and tell you later, but sometimes it’s better to be able to anticipate something for a while instead.  Our family has reservations to go to the ranch the last weekend in April.  Jason has other plans, so we have room for another guest and we chose you.  You’ll share a room with Ruth, and my best friend, Sunny, will share a room with me.”

 “Wow!”  Maria exclaimed.  “I’ll definitely look forward to going there with you and your parents.  Thank you ever so much!”

 “You’re welcome.  Now let’s get back to the first topic,” suggested Ruth.  “We have a list of questions to ask them if we get to that point.  Who knows?  The date might not last very long.”

 “Or maybe it’ll be mostly going down memory lane telling and reminiscing about all the fun we had together at the ranch,” said Esther.  “Just telling you a little about the ranch has brought many memories back to me.  The only one I don’t like is that neither our family nor Nathan’s nor his friend, Felix, were believers at the time.  We could have had a much deeper friendship if the Lord had been at the center of it all.  Plus, maybe Felix wouldn’t have been such a tease, or maybe I would have been more able to be patient with him and forgive him.  He was nice, other than the teasing, which was annoying.  I had crushes on both of them at one time or another.  Nathan was so shy, I couldn’t tell what he was thinking.”

 Maria commented, “They both sound interesting.  I think it was a good idea for you to meet them at the restaurant.  That way you can leave when you want to, and they won’t know where you live.”

 “Right, we won’t need a rescue like you did,” Esther interjected, and Maria laughed and blushed.  “We’ll need to find out if they are believers.  Being in small group doesn’t prove anything.”

 “Yes, and you need to know what their intentions are, and if you can trust them,” added Maria.

  Ever practical Ruth mentioned, “I agree with you both, but I see that our time is up already, since Esther needs to drive back over to Jason’s office building so she can get back to work on time.”

 Maria inserted, “I'll keep praying for you both.  Could we get together on Saturday, so you can tell me how it went?  Please come over to my apartment at 10:30, so you can tell me all about it and then we can eat lunch.”

 They both nodded as Esther waved and went out the door.

  At the ranch Oscar and Vera added to their lists, off and on through the day as many thoughts and ideas came to their minds after asking themselves good questions without the thought of being too old negating and thwarting their creativity.  When they got together to share, each one had a substantial list.

 Oscar proposed, “Let’s pray before we show our lists.  Father in heaven, thank you for the brains you’ve given us and ideas we have written without being hindered by negative thinking.”

 Vera continued, “Yes, it was fun to work toward a positive goal of ways this ranch could be used for your work and your glory.”

 Oscar finished, “Now we ask that you will guide our discussion and point us to the best idea to reach our goal.  We pray in Jesus precious name.  Amen.”

 Vera asked, “Shall we exchange lists and read them first?”

 “I like that idea,” he answered handing his list to her and taking hers to read.  While they read silently, if someone had been watching they would have seen smiles, nods, and thoughtful expressions on each face.  When they finished and looked up, each one had a finger on an idea written on their spouse’s list, and a big smile.  They erupted into laughter after being shown the idea each one was pointing to, and then they got up and danced all the way around the room together.

 Oscar stated, “I haven’t had so much fun in a long time!  Thank you, Lord, for showing us the best idea in such a fun way.  That was the only similar idea both of us had written down among the others, and it is the very best one too.”

 Vera picked up both lists and read the identical idea out loud from each list, “Turn this ranch into homes for girls in Caring Foster Homes with families who will love and care for them while they teach them the Good News and guide them to the Savior.  Then he can save, heal, restore and rehabilitate their lives.  The horses on the ranch will be an added blessing for the girls.”  The wording was almost the same on both lists.

 “Now we can start to develop plans to put this good idea into action.  Would you like to write ideas about that topic tomorrow during the day and we can read and discuss them in the evening?” Oscar inquired of his beloved wife.

 She nodded and then took his hand to lead him to the living room couch where they could cuddle and visit for a while.

 The next evening they reviewed their lists of plans and typed out the best ones on a word processor and then printed several copies.  An appointment was made with the lead pastor of the Grace ‘n’ Faith Church for Thursday so they could discuss, pray with, and get his counsel on this project.

 Wednesday evening in Pine City after praying separately and brainstorming ideas for their date on Friday, Nathan and Felix sat at the table to discuss the ones they thought might work.  

 “Would it be good for us to start off with memories of the fun times we had together at the dude ranch?” asked Felix.  “Then I can apologize for teasing too much.”

 Nathan answered, “Those are both good ideas and will get the evening off to a good start.  Then it might be a good time to give our testimonies and hear theirs.  I assume that since Esther was in the small group, she’s a believer.  Possibly Ruth is in a different small group.  But it’s never safe to assume anything, so we need to find out.  If Esther isn’t a believer, then we would NOT be able to go any further in a relationship.  All we could do is pray for her.”

 “You’re right.  The Bible is very clear about not being united with someone who doesn’t share our faith in Jesus the Savior.  So we need to find out that information very early,” agreed Felix.

 “I think then I’ll need to admit why we never followed up with our friendship after high school.  I’ll be terribly embarrassed to tell her that I was so shy I could never ask her for her last name and find out where she lived.  It certainly wasn’t lack of interest,” Nathan commented, shaking his head at himself.

 “I understand, because my pride got in the way of apologizing and therefore I couldn’t ask her those same questions, either.  We were both a couple of failures!  If only we could turn the clock back all those years and do it over!  We’ll find out on Friday evening if we’re any better now than we were back then,” Felix lamented.

 “Oops!  We’re both going the wrong way on a road that’s supposed to stay positive.  Let’s say together what we agreed to do in this project,” suggested Nathan.

 They said it in unison, “We will help each other to be the best we can be, and give Esther the chance to choose the man she thinks would be the better husband for her.”

 “It is a big goal, but we can do it with God’s help.” stated Nathan.  “After she chooses one of us, the other man will cheer them on, and then start looking for the best woman God has for his wife.  It’s extremely important for us to stay unified in this project and to remain friends after it’s over.”

 Felix smiled and nodded.  “Yes, we’ve been friends since first grade and we definitely desire to stay friends for the rest of our lives!  In addition, I guess we need to understand and accept the possibility of her rejecting both of us for whatever reason she might have.”

 “Correct, she could already be engaged or may have decided to never marry, or who knows what other reasons there might be,” Nathan agreed and looked somewhat dejected.

 Felix added, “She might decide she doesn’t like either of us, but we’ll never know unless we try, and we have decided to try hard!”

 Nathan concurred, “Yes, so let’s pray.  Jesus, thank you for being here with us as we’ve been discussing our plans and our agreements.  Please keep us focused and help us to do your will in this situation.”

 “I agree, Lord,” said Felix,  “Thank you for the ideas to use at the beginning of our upcoming date.  Please guide everything we do and say through the whole date.  We pray in Jesus name.  Amen.”  Felix stood up, put his hand on Nathan’s shoulder, gave it a gentle squeeze, and then left the room to get ready for bed, since tomorrow was a workday.

 During breakfast Thursday morning, Ruth asked, “Esther, would you like for me to give you a summary of the teaching time at my Wednesday evening small group?  It’s probably similar to what was taught in your group on Monday since the small groups all try to stay on the same page.”

 “Thank you, Ruth,” replied Esther.  “I would like that.  I’ll take notes on what you say so I can have it in my notebook.”

 So Ruth began, “As is often the case, after singing several songs, the teaching time goes along so well with them and the scripture verses they usually list with the title in the hymnal.  The first song we sang was ‘Surely Goodness and Mercy,’ based on Psalm 23, especially the last verse, Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”  Esther smiled.

 Ruth went on, “Then we sang ‘Anywhere with Jesus.’  The verse for it was 1 Peter 2:21b, which says, as I personalize it, Jesus suffered for us, leaving us an example, that we should follow his steps.  Even if we might have to suffer by following Jesus, we’ll be better off following him than going the way of the world.”

 She continued, “The third song was ‘Where he Leads I’ll follow.’  The verses were Mark 1:17,18.  Jesus said (to Peter and Andrew) ‘Come after me and I will make you become fishers of men.’  And immediately they left their nets and followed him.”

 Esther inserted, “They had no idea how hard it was going to be for them for the rest of their lives, but they didn’t even question Jesus.  They just followed him.”

 Ruth replied, “I agree and I don’t think I could have done that without asking questions and getting more information.  The last song was ‘Peace, Perfect Peace’ with the verse in John 14:27, which you already know by heart.

 Esther responded, “Yes, and I know it would have helped me a lot to listen to the teaching time instead of reliving all those memories and being so upset about those two men being in the same group I’m in.  I’m glad we decided to be in separate groups this year so you could catch me up on what I missed by being so distracted.  I especially like that song and the verse I now quote in John 14:27 where Jesus says, Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you, it is not a peace like the world gives.  Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”  

  Ruth responded, “I agree.  Verse four in the song is exceptionally good for your situation, because it states, God is always on the throne even when our future isn’t known.  The main emphasis of the teaching was to be ready for any changes the new year might bring to us.  We need to pray and follow the Lord’s guidance every day.”

 “Yes, I’ll try to remember to do it every day,” Esther replied.

 “Good, I will too,” stated Ruth.  “The rest of the meeting was the usual explanation of how small groups operate and the importance of keeping praises and prayer times confidential, and only using names of the people who are in the group.”

 Esther smiled and said, “Thank you again, Ruth.  Now I feel caught up with the rest of my group, and it’s a good feeling.”

 Just before leaving the office on Thursday, Maria ran up the stairs to ask Ruth what she and Esther would like to have for lunch on Saturday so she could buy it while she did her normal shopping on the way home today.  She enjoyed shopping for those supplies along with the rest of her food and looked forward to having both of her friends come to tell her about their date and then eat lunch together.

 As she was putting her groceries away, her calico cat was rubbing up against her legs and was generally getting in the way.  Maria stopped what she was doing and picked her up.  She immediately started purring as Maria stroked her soft fur.  

 “I think you need more attention than I was giving you.  Are you hungry?  I’ll get you some supper just as soon as I’m finished here.  I’m so happy God gave me a good job with a Christian boss, this nice compact apartment, a loving cat to greet me when I get home, and good friends coming to visit on Saturday.  Thank you Jesus for all the blessings!  Please help Esther and Ruth as they go on their date Friday.  Keep them safe and guide them about what to say and do.  May your will be done in all things.”

 Maria put the cat down, washed her hands, finished putting everything away, and then fed her pet before getting her own supper.

 Before leaving work on the ranch Thursday evening, Nathan asked for permission to come an hour early the next day.  “That way I could leave an hour early so Felix and I can get ready to go meet Esther and Ruth at the Healthy Eating Restaurant at 5:30 PM.  I’m definitely nervous about the evening, so would you two pray for us, that we’ll do and say only what Jesus would want us to in this situation?”

 Oscar answered, “Yes, of course, for both questions.  You’ve told us how important this is to you and Felix and that you both only want to do God’s will for everyone concerned.  So relax and trust God to do what he does best, as I paraphrase Romans 8:28.  God will work out everything for good because we love God and have been called according to his purpose.”

 Vera added, “You’ll probably be pleasantly surprised at the ways he works things out.  We would be interested to hear about your date if you’d like to tell us on your next workday afterward.”

 “I’ll be sure to tell you all about it even if it doesn’t go the way I’d like it to go.  Have a good evening.  I’ll see you tomorrow,” Nathan responded.

 When he got to the apartment he shared with Felix in Pine City, Nathan asked, “Did your boss agree to let you come in and leave an hour early tomorrow?”

 “Yes, he was very nice about it.  That’s something I really like about this city and especially the rural areas around it.  The people are usually friendly and willing to help,” answered Felix.

 It was Friday evening before Esther was ready for it to be, and she didn’t know where the week had gone.  She dressed carefully and she and Ruth were out the door and on their way to the restaurant.

 “What if they don’t show up?  Felix might think it would be a good joke on us,” commented Esther.

 “No problem, we’ll just go ahead in and eat a quiet, relaxed dinner on our own and enjoy it,” Ruth responded.

 Esther laughed and it relieved her stress.  Shortly thereafter, they parked and saw their dates waiting near the door, so they went to join them with smiles to hide their nervousness.

 Felix greeted them.  “Welcome Ruth and Esther.  Let’s go inside where we can hear when they call our reservation.”

 Small talk passed the few minutes as they waited.  “Mendoza, party of four,” the hostess called.  They followed her to a comfortable looking booth.  The men sat on one side and the ladies on the other side.  The hostess left menus for them to look at and said she’d be back shortly with water for them, and to take their orders.  The four of them got busy and studied the menus so they'd be ready to order when she returned.  After their orders were taken all of them took a sip of water at the same time as if it had been choreographed.  They all laughed about it, and it helped to break the ice.

 Nathan found his voice and complimented the ladies, “Ruth and Esther, you both look lovely this evening.  It’s so good to be able to see you again.  Thank you for agreeing to have dinner with us this evening.  I’ve been thinking back on our fun times together at the Yardley Dude Ranch.  The memories are mostly good ones.”

 Esther responded, “Thank you for the compliments.  Both of you look very nice also.  We have many good memories of our times together at the dude ranch too.  I especially enjoyed horseback riding in their beautiful valley.”

 “Even when that horse ran away with you?” asked Felix.

 She laughed and answered, “Yes, I liked it even then.  I appreciated the way both of you were concerned enough to come and help me.  Vera had taught me what to do if the horse I was riding ever ran away with me, so I tried it and it worked.  She said to get the horse headed uphill and then urge it to go even faster, which would tire it out so it would be willing to stop when you said ‘whoa’ and pulled back on the reins.  It was an exhilarating ride!  Vera had also told me to take the horse back to the place where it had spooked, and get it used to that area so it wouldn’t happen again.  Do you remember, we found a scarf caught in a bush and it was fluttering in the breeze?”

 Felix nodded.  “Yes, you dismounted, retrieved the scarf and put it in your pocket.  Then you remounted and we went sedately back to the ranch where we all had to walk the horses around the ring several times to cool them down and do extra grooming on the horses because they had gotten overheated.”

 “Ruth didn’t run her horse, so she didn’t have as much to do,” remembered Nathan.

 “That’s because I was there when Vera told Esther what to do with a run away horse, so I just waited for all of you to return,” explained Ruth.

 Nathan commented, “Oh, I understand now.  Horseback riding was also my favorite thing to do at the dude ranch.  Along with it, I enjoyed rowing on the lake in those flat-bottomed boats.  The lake was great for ice skating in the winter.”

 Esther remarked, “Yes it was.  We enjoyed doing those things also.  On our next trip to the dude ranch, Vera told me they had trained that horse to not be afraid of fluttering scarves or anything else.  I don’t think it ever ran away again.”

 Ruth shared, “One of my favorite memories is looking forward to our weekends at the ranch, driving there, and coming around the last corner where the whole valley just opened up in all of it’s beauty.  I’ve never found a more delightful or excellent place to spend a weekend.”  Everyone nodded agreement.

 Their salads arrived at their table just then and Nathan asked, “Is it all right with you if I pray before we eat?”  They both nodded, so he continued, “Father, thank you for this time we get to have together to renew our acquaintance and restore friendships, and for all the food we’ll be eating.  Please bless it to our bodies, and our bodies to your service. I pray in Jesus name.  Amen.”  The others added “amen” and started eating.  There was a comfortable silence for a few moments.

 Ruth remarked, “This salad is delicious.  I even like it without dressing because it’s so fresh.  What memory do you have about your times at the dude ranch, Felix?”

 He realized this would be a good place for his apology, so he said, “This memory isn’t a good one.  I remember doing too much teasing most of the time, and I do apologize for doing that.  Please forgive me.  I’m really trying to stop teasing, but I know it will be hard for me to change.”

 Both of the ladies smiled, thanked him for the apology, and told him that of course he was forgiven.

 Nathan said, “The one memory I would change if I could, is that while we were having so much fun at the ranch, Felix and I were not believers, so we didn’t give God the honor he deserved.  About five and a half years ago my family and Felix went to hear an evangelist at a big stadium in a bigger city near here.  He explained the gospel in such a clear way, that we all finally understood what Jesus had done for us and our need to believe in him.  So we all went forward and accepted Jesus as our Savior, and we’ve been learning how to serve him ever since in a good church and small groups.”

 Ruth and Esther looked at each other in pleased surprise and Esther asked, “What was the name of the city, and what month was it?”  After he told her, she continued, “My family and I were there at the same time.  He was only there the one day, and I praise and thank the Lord that the same thing happened for our family, except for Jason, who wasn’t with us.  But we kept praying for him and he finally became a believer near the end of April last year, and Jesus healed him.”

 “Wow!  This is really amazing and wonderful.  It was a glorious coincidence that we four became believers on the same day at the same place even though we didn’t know about it until right now,” said Nathan.  “Plus we’re overjoyed to hear about Jason also coming to the Lord and being healed of his bipolar disorder.”

 They all nodded and would have had a rousing praise time if they had been in an appropriate place for it.  Instead, they quietly praised God for his goodness.  The waiter came and removed empty salad dishes and another one brought their orders, so they were again comfortably silent as they started eating and thinking about what they had just learned about each other.

 Nathan broke the silence.  “I have another memory I regret.  I’m sorry I wasn’t able to keep in contact with you after high school when our times at the ranch no longer coincided.  It was my own fault, because I was so shy that I was never able to ask for your last name or where you lived.  I’m so glad I finally thought about asking the Yardleys if they remembered your family and knew where I could find you.  They very graciously told me and I am extremely thankful.”

  “Don’t worry about it, Nathan,” Ruth responded, “Many teenagers are shy.  The Yardleys are nice people and are part of our good memories.”  Then Ruth asked, thinking that maybe Nathan needed a rescue from his embarrassment. “What did you both do after high school?”

 Felix answered, “We both went to the university in our city.  I got my degree in farming and agriculture.  My minor was coaching sports.  Nathan got his degree in counseling children and teens, and his minor was horse care and training.  We’ve been working in those fields since graduation.  What have the two of you and Jason been doing?”

 “Your fields of study sound very interesting.  The three of us got our degrees in accounting by attending the university here in Pine City while we lived at home to help save money.  So we’re all busy helping people with their bookkeeping,” answered Esther.  Plus we’ve been learning a lot at Grace ‘n’ Faith Church and in small groups about how to live the way Jesus desires for us to live.”

 Nathan felt much better after his admission, and what Ruth had said helped even more.  He commented, “It’s unusual for all of the siblings to major in the same thing, but it sounds like it has worked well for you three.  I agree with you, Esther, the right church and good small groups are immensely helpful.  I moved here in September and went to church with Oscar on Saturdays and to his small group also on the night it met during the week.  He and Vera have to go separately, so one of them can always be at the dude ranch, so she goes to church on Sundays and to a small group on a different night of the week than Oscar.”

 Felix explained, “Before we moved here we had been attending a church and small group in the city where we lived.  When I moved here in October, I joined Oscar and Nathan.  In December, we began attending Church #4 with Vera and in January, we were put into the same small group that you are in now, Esther.”

 “I think this church is amazing,” Nathan commented, “the way it uses one building for 12 different church services on the weekend, each with it’s own pastor who also has a job to support his family, but they all work together and stay on the same page.”

 Felix agreed, “Then they grew so fast last year that another building and school were built to make room for continued growth.  It has another 12 churches with their own services.  I don’t know anything about the schools, but I’d like to find out sometime.

 Esther suggested, “You might want to ask Julie Blake about the church school.  She’s in our church and teaches there, or you could ask at the church office.  I think they have a booklet about the school.”

 “Thank you for the information, Esther,” responded Felix.

 Ruth remarked, “I’ve heard some people say that a church like ours couldn’t happen because it would be impossible to get so many people to cooperate and work together.  But it isn’t impossible with God.  Grace ‘n’ Faith Church is proof of that.”

 The rest nodded emphatically and since they were finished eating now and Nathan asked, “Would you like to have some dessert?”

 “Only if it’s something very light.  Ruth, would you order for me while I go to the ladies’ room?  Please excuse me,” said Esther.

 Nathan grabbed this opportunity to question Ruth, “Do you know whether or not Esther has decided to remain single?”

 “She’s still praying for God’s leading, but has told him of her desire to be married if he would bring the right man into her life,” Ruth responded.

 “Thank you, and how about you?” he asked next.

 “I prefer to remain single,” she answered, wondering where this line of questioning was going to lead.

 Nathan continued, “I didn’t mean to be intrusive with those questions, but I needed to know the answers so I can ask the next question.  Would you be willing to continue going with us as a foursome so Esther would be more comfortable?”

 “First, you need to tell me what you’re planning.  What is your goal?” Ruth inquired.  Felix quickly explained their joint project to Ruth and she nodded.  “I’ll agree to accompany the three of you so you can let her choose, but only if you tell her what your plan and goal is.  I know she would not like to be in the dark about it.”

 Nathan looked to Felix for his agreement and said, “All right, we’ll explain it all to her.  Thank you very much, Ruth, for telling us the information and for agreeing to go with us.  Would you please pray for all of us as we undertake this plan of action?”

 “Of course I will,” she replied.  “Here comes the waiter.  Let’s order and eat dessert before you explain it to her.”  They nodded.

 Esther returned to the table and soon their desserts were delivered.  Small talk was enjoyable as they ate, and as soon as coffee or soft drinks were refilled, Nathan began, “Esther, Felix and I talked to Ruth while you were gone, and she agreed that she’d join us in a plan we’ll explain to you.  We hope you’ll agree to try this, and we’ll understand if you need some time to think it over.  So please listen, and know that we only want the best for you and our intentions are completely honorable.”

 Esther looked completely confused, but she nodded.  Therefore Nathan explained to her about the joint project he and Felix had.  They even recited in unison to her about their agreement.  “I know this might seem sudden to you, but we’ve been looking for you for years.  We finally found you, and today we were all pleasantly surprised to learn that we’re all believers.  Now we would like to know if you will give us a chance to let you choose.  If you decide that neither of us would be best for you, please be honest and tell us,” Nathan said.

 Esther swallowed and responded, “I feel highly honored that both of you would make a plan like this and work together to help each other, leaving the choosing to me.  Thank you for telling me about your plan so I could know what to expect.  I have to admit to being so surprised and uncertain that I am hesitant to answer right now. Could I take a day to pray and think about this and also talk to my parents and Pastor Don to get their input?”

 “Certainly, and we apologize for any upset this might cause for you,” answered Felix.  “I guess we didn’t envision how you might feel about our plan.”

 “Thank you, and I forgive you.  There’s no way to know ahead of time how others might respond to something we plan,” Esther replied.  “Thank you both for the trip down memory lane and the delicious dinner and dessert.  I’ll call tomorrow evening.”

 Ruth added, “Yes, thank you both.  She has a lot to consider and contemplate, so I think we should leave now.”

 Nathan responded, “You’re both very welcome, and we thank you for coming and being willing to listen to and reflect on our plan.  We’ll be home tomorrow evening.”

 Everyone said goodbye and the ladies left.

 Felix and Nathan watched them go and wondered how it would all turn out for them and for her.

 “Maybe we didn’t do a very good job of thinking through this whole project.  I never imagined it might cause Esther distress, but she did look really tense at the end,” mentioned, Nathan.

 Felix responded, “Well I guess we’re destined to live and learn the hard way about everything, even though our intentions are good.  I hope she will give us a chance to prove ourselves.”

 “Same here!  Let’s go pay the bill and go home so we can pray some more about the whole plan,” suggested Nathan.

 “Where are we going?” Esther asked when she realized they weren’t headed to their apartment.

 “I thought it would be best to go straight to Dad and Mom.  We can ponder and study this better with them, than trying to figure it out on our own,” replied Ruth.

 At least it wasn’t late, so they didn’t have to get their dad, William, and mom, Anna, out of bed.  When Ruth and Esther finished telling them this unbelievable story, they all took turns praying about it in the way it would be done in a small group, just like a conversation including God.

 Then William clarified, “Did you say they both left their other city and jobs, moved here and got new jobs to carry out this plan after they found out where Esther lived?”

 “Yes, Dad, that’s what they told me while Esther was in the ladies’ room.  Then they asked me if I’d be willing to accompany them on all the dates so Esther would feel more comfortable,” Ruth answered.

 “And you said ‘Yes.’  Thank you for being willing to do that for me, Ruth.  I know I’d be worried about going with them alone.  I’ll be uneasy even with you there, but you’ll make it tolerable.  I’ve never been so astonished and confused and disoriented in my life.  What do you think I should do, Dad and Mom?”

  Anna asked, “Do you still desire to be married?”

 “Yes, Mom, I do, but only if I can be sure it’s what God wants for me and he gives me the right man,” replied Esther.

 “How will you know which man is the right man?” Anna asked her daughter next.

 “I already read the book you gave me in high school another time when Maria and I were discussing this topic last summer.  It has a lot of good traits to look for and guidelines for me to use as I get to know a man,” she answered.

 Ruth commented, “I overheard Fiona Anderson talking to a single young lady in my new small group this week.  Fiona was saying that after she came home from taking care of her elderly great aunt, she basically had a list of things to look for and tests for Matt to pass before she would agree to marry him, if he asked her.  He passed all of them with flying colors, and they are now very happily married and are expecting their first child.”

 “I’d like to talk with her and get some more ideas of things to look for.  I’ll call her sometime soon and see if I can visit with her and write down her ideas in my notebook.” Esther remarked.  

 William inquired, “What are some ways you can find out about those traits in a man?”

 Esther smiled when she realized what her parents were trying to get her to acknowledge.  “I can observe them in small group and on every date we go on with Ruth as my support.  The part I like the least about this plan, is that I must choose between them and I don’t want to be the one who would hurt either one of them.  It makes it so much harder, knowing they both love me.”

 “I’m glad you feel that way,” Anna declared.  “Some women enjoy leading a man on and then dumping him.  I’m glad we raised two ladies who are sensitive to others’ feelings.”

 Ruth smiled her thanks to her mom and stressed to Esther, “Remember what they said in unison about helping each other be the best they can be so you could choose the one who would be the better husband for you.  They’ve already accepted the fact that only one of them can be chosen and are giving you that privilege without fighting over you.  They told me they’re committed to staying friends all the way through this and then cheering on the one you choose.”

 “Wow, that is a good thing for me to remember as I observe them.  Actually, this is an amazing opportunity.  I’ll get to see and compare both of them at once on each date and at the small group,” Esther observed.

 William agreed, “Exactly correct, and you’re a mature lady who is a Christian, so Jesus will help you all the way.”

 “That’s right,” said Anna.  “I remember you telling me you had a crush on both of them while we were at the dude ranch.”

 “Yes, I did.  But not on both of them at the same time,” Esther laughed.  “Each one was truly appealing in different ways.  Nathan was quiet and shy, and I didn’t really know what he was thinking.  He said he regretted being so shy that he couldn’t even ask me my last name.  Felix was a big tease and I did not enjoy that as a teen.  He apologized tonight and Ruth and I both forgave him.  He said he’s really trying to change,” explained Esther.

 William inserted, “Both of those traits could be hard to live with if they are carried to excess.  So there is the first thing in each of them you need to look for and evaluate.  But it sounds like you’ll need to give each one some time to make the change.”

 “Thank you, Dad.  I’ll be sure to do that,” Esther responded.

 Ruth remarked, “Both of them were exceptionally polite and seemed sincere about their belief in Jesus, and in their desire to make this joint project work.  They were even sorry if their plan caused upset for Esther.”

 Esther nodded and added, “At first we were concerned that they might be con artists or crooks, but since they both admitted to their faults and asked for forgiveness, I don’t think they are.”

 “Therefore, what’s your final verdict in this case?” William inquired.

 Esther answered, “I think Nathan and Felix deserve a chance to do their joint project, and I need to be a conscientious, fair judge.  How do you feel, Ruth?  Do you really want to be involved in this plan of theirs?  I know I could not do it without your help!”

 Ruth replied, “You are my dear little sister and I desire to see you happy.  I’ll do whatever I can do to keep you safe in this endeavor.  I don’t want you to get hurt in any way.  Maybe we’ll even be able to enjoy these dates.  I can’t imagine two men wanting to take a self proclaimed thirty-one-year-old spinster and her younger sister on dates.  They must be certain of their love for you, Esther, and that is a real compliment to you.”

 “I hadn’t thought about it that way, but you’re right like you usually are, my wonderful big sister.  Thank you for your willingness to help in this situation.  Thank you, Dad and Mom, for listening and guiding us to an answer to this dilemma.” she said.

 “You’re welcome!” they said.  Then Ruth and Esther went home to the apartment they shared and had a peaceful night of sleep.

  Saturday morning Maria awoke looking forward to a visit with her friends and also wondering what they’d tell her about their date the evening before.  She glanced at the clock and gave a little gasp.  Apparently she had slept in and only had an hour to get ready for her guests.  She jumped out of bed and scurried around straightening things up after a quick breakfast.  At least she had planned their lunch the night before and had it ready to put in the slow cooker, which she did and started it so it would be ready by noon.  She was ready with time to spare, and they arrived on time.

 “Welcome, Ruth and Esther.  Both of you look rested and well.  Please come sit in these comfortable chairs and tell me all about your date last night,” Maria invited.

 Esther declared, “You are not going to believe this story.  In fact I’m still unsure after living it.”  She and Ruth took turns telling Maria about everything that had happened at the restaurant and then at their parent’s home.”

 “You’re completely right,” stated Maria.  I would have a very hard time believing this story except that I know for sure that you both always tell the truth.  It reminds me a little bit of the way your brother told me about his love and desire to marry me, when he had me come to his office that day last spring.  Only this is double for you, Esther.  TWO men basically declared their love and intentions, and now you have to date them together and choose the one you think is better to be your husband!  No wonder you’re overwhelmed!  But, it could be a great adventure for you.”

 Ruth agreed, “I’ve never heard of this kind of thing happening before in my lifetime, but it does have the possibility of being a great adventure.”

 “I can’t imagine dating two men at the same time!  Esther, you’re much braver than I could ever be!” exclaimed Maria.

 Esther stated, “I’ve decided that it might not be so bad.  Ruth will be with me every time as my support, and I’ll be very busy observing both men so I can make the right choice.  But we are also going to get Pastor Don’s counsel on the matter this afternoon.”  

 Maria inserted, “It’s really a good idea to talk to Pastor Don.  He has helped me so many times!”

 Esther said, “I’m glad.  So let’s pray about it right now and then we can eat lunch and talk about other things.  I think I’m about saturated with this topic for now.”

 After they had taken turns praying about the unique situation, Maria thanked the Lord for the food, and they enjoyed regular visiting about other topics while they ate the lunch she had prepared and they helped with the cleanup.

 After lunch Ruth and Esther stopped at the Ross house for a 1:30 PM appointment they had made before going to see Maria, to talk to Pastor Don about the situation.  They greeted his wife and children and then went into his office where they told him the state of affairs.

 Pastor Don responded, “I agree with you. This is decidedly unusual.  Nathan and Felix came here together to discuss their plan with me and I’ll tell you the same thing I told them.  ‘The most important thing you should do is pray to ask God if this could be his will for you.’  I won’t tell you the rest of the conversation so as to not betray their confidentiality.  Let’s pray about it together now and trust God to give you his answer.”

 When they finished, Esther again felt she should give Felix and Nathan a chance to do their project and ask God to help her be a fair judge to choose one or maybe neither of them to be her future husband.  She’d also continue to ask for God to make his will clear to her about singleness or marriage.

 Then Ruth and Esther went home to do some of the weekend housework that was waiting for them.

 Later, that Saturday evening, Esther called Nathan’s phone number and was happy she didn’t get his voice mail.  “Hello, Nathan, this is Esther.  If Felix is there also, would you turn on your phone’s speaker so he can hear this at the same time?”

 “Hello, Esther.  Yes, Felix is here and is listening to hear what you’re going to say.  Thank you for calling.” answered Nathan.

 “Nathan and Felix, I’ve talked to my parents and my pastor, and we’ve prayed about your plan.  We feel it would be a good idea to have Ruth join us on the dates and I’ll do my best to get to know you both and then choose the one I think would be the better husband for me.  The hardest part for me, will be the choosing.  I don’t desire to be the one who will hurt the man who isn’t chosen.  And, if for some reason I don’t choose either of you, it would be even harder.  So in advance I wish to apologize for however it turns out,” Esther finished, took a deep breath and tried to relax.  It had been harder to tell them her answer than she had imagined it would be.

 Both men said something like, “Thank you, Esther, for agreeing to give us a chance to carry out our plan.”

 Then Felix stated, “Don’t worry about the choosing.  We already know that only one can be chosen and maybe neither.”

 Nathan added, “Yes, relax, Esther, and know that we’ll be praying for Jesus to lead all of us every step of the way.  Maybe you’ll even be able to enjoy our times together.”

 “That sounds like a good idea.  Thank you both for reassuring me.  If I remember to not focus on having to choose, I’m sure I will enjoy our times together.  I’ll let you go now, and see you at the small group Monday evening,” Esther responded.

 “Very good,” said Felix.

 “Have a nice evening,” Nathan added.

 Felix hung up the phone and the men had a little praise session ending with more prayers for guidance and wisdom to proceed.

 Sunday all of them were in church and Esther could see them sitting on either side of Vera near the front of the church.  She forced herself to not look their way or be distracted by them.  Her self- discipline paid off and she was able to worship and listen carefully to the teaching time, taking notes on the most important parts so she could review them later.   

 Then just before the end of the service, since Maria was sitting next to her, Esther whispered an explanation to her about where the men were sitting so she could get a look at them, before the people started moving around.

 “They’re both very handsome,” Maria whispered to Esther.

 Esther nodded and then kicked herself for blushing.  She was acting like a teenager.  It had been years since she had been on a date, except for the one with Tony last summer, and nothing had come of that one either.  Sometimes she wondered if she’d ever get married.  Then she repented and asked God to forgive her for not being able to leave the whole question of being single or married in God’s more capable hands.

 On Monday Nathan arrived early at the ranch to tell the Yardleys about the date he and Felix had with Esther and Ruth.  They were just as amazed as the others had been, when they had listened to the ladies describe the date.

 Oscar asked, “Did both of you really quit your jobs and move here just to be able to date Esther and let her choose the one she likes better?”

 “I know it sounds crazy, but this is very important to us.  The last time we were all here together, Felix and I told each other that we’d like to marry Esther when we graduated from the university, but that we knew only one of us could actually do it.”  Then he recited for them the agreement he and Felix had made.

 “Felix has helped me as we’ve been looking for her for all these years since graduating from the university, and we’ve been comparing her with all the other girls we’ve met in between.  Not one of them measures up to her.  She’s not only beautiful, she’s also intelligent, talented, sensitive, articulate and gracious.  Most wonderful and most important of all is: we found out on the date that she also shares our faith in Jesus,” Nathan explained.

 Vera responded, “Wonderful, thank you for explaining.  We understand, and we’ll certainly pray for God to bless your venture and for only his will to be done for all of you.”

 “We’ll truly be grateful for your prayers and God’s help.  Now it’s time for me to get to work.  What are your plans for today?”  After listening carefully to Oscar’s answer, Nathan left the kitchen and went outside to work.

 Oscar asked Vera, “Do you think we should mention any of our ideas to him?”

 She replied, “I don’t think so yet.  I’d rather get to know him better, since it has been so many years.  I wish to see if his life matches what he told us about being a Christian now.”

 “I agree.  He’s been working here since the first week in September, and I can see that he’s a good worker who learns quickly and likes to please us,” concurred Oscar.

 “Let’s keep the rest of this discussion until after supper so he doesn’t walk in here and catch us talking about him.  I’ll look forward to talking more about our ideas then too,” suggested Vera.

 “Good, I’m getting excited about those!” he exclaimed.

 At lunchtime in Pine City on Monday, Maria resisted the urge to ask Ruth more about the two men and the date they had on Friday.  She would share more if she so desired.  Instead, they discussed things they had liked about the service at church yesterday.  

 Ruth said, “We sang some of my favorite songs that go so well with a new year just getting started.  The scripture verse, Psalm 90:12 says, teach us to number our days, so we may apply our hearts unto wisdom, has been one of my favorite verses for a long time.  That verse and the song ‘Another Year is Dawning’ were a good lead in for the teaching time.  I like all the verses in that song because they’re an excellent prayer to use more than just once a year.  In fact, I pray through it once a week on Monday mornings before coming to work.”

 “I think I’ll try your idea starting tomorrow and then each Monday.  I remember the song was about waiting, leaning, and trusting, and about God’s faithfulness and grace, plus some things I can’t remember,” stated Maria.

 “Right, and the song ‘God of the Ages’ is also a good one.  So is the Bible verse that goes with it, Psalm 91:2, I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress, my God; in him I will trust.  I like the way the song talks about the past, present, and future and how God plans and shapes everything that concerns people.  The authors of both of those songs really did a good job when they wrote the lyrics.  I wish I could write good song lyrics,” Ruth added.

 “Have you ever tried?” Maria questioned.

 She replied, “No, but maybe someday I will try.  I know there are rhyming dictionaries that would be a big help.  It might be a fun activity to do especially on the weekends when I have more time, but only after all these double dates are over.”  

Chapter 2

Joshua 1:9, … Be strong and of good courage, do not be afraid …  

or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

  At the ranch Oscar commented after supper cleanup, “Well, Nathan’s gone now, after a profitable day of work.  He works as hard as I used to be able to work.  I miss those days.  Anyway, I'm glad we hired him because he’s getting the ranch back into shape.  I didn’t realize how rundown it was getting.  It’ll make the next few months of reservations for the dude ranch go better.”

 “I agree, and if we tell all of those who come that we won’t be making any more reservations, we’ll be able to go ahead with our new plans.  This has been a very good dude ranch, run first by your parents and then by us, but we’ve longed to make it into something more, something better than just a place for people to come for weekends and vacations.  I’m excited about being able to leave a legacy for others now that we have such a good idea and we realized we aren’t too old to make it happen, because we have Jesus to help us,” declared Vera.

 “You’re right, Honey.”  Oscar reached over and held her hand.  “We spent too many years thinking we had no ideas and were too old to make the ranch into something more useful in God’s Kingdom.  Now we know better.  It was good to be able to talk to the pastor of Grace ‘n’ Faith Church #1 in Pine City on Thursday evening last week.  His recommendations for how to implement our idea will be extremely helpful.”

 “Yes, and I'm glad we were able to convince my brother and sister-in-law to consider doing the same thing with their truck farm. They still call it a truck farm, but it has really grown into a big business and it needs many families working there instead of just one, like when my parents started it, and my brother and I helped them.  Now since my brother is older than we are, I hope they don’t wait too long to get started,” she stated.

 “Absolutely, because there also needs to be a place for foster boys since we’ve decided to have only girls here,” he agreed.  “Plus he was correct in all the differences he mentioned there would need to be in his farm and this ranch.  I’m sure we’ll both be able to do things in the best way for each place.”

 “Yes!  Just imagine this beautiful ranch and all the cabins filled with families from our church with four foster girls each in a Caring Foster Home.  We can add more bedrooms and bathrooms to the smaller cabins so they’ll have enough room.  Here at this ranch they can be taught about Jesus, and then rehabilitated and restored to joyful, useful lives by Jesus as their Savior instead of continuing in the abusive situations in which they lived,” she visualized.

 “I certainly can imagine it, the way you described it.  Plus, we can have four foster girls of our own, since we’ll get to continue living in the lower level of the big house after we have it remodeled to include another Caring Foster Home upstairs.  I really like the name you suggested the other day, Mercy Valley Ranch.  It truly fits with our idea, and besides, this is one of the valleys with the headwaters for the Mercy River, even though here they’re just called Mercy Streams.  When they all join together and travel farther down the valley, they add a lot of water to the Mercy River.”

 “Right, is there a song about Mercy Streams?” asked Vera.

 Oscar replied, “Somewhere in the song, ‘Come Thou Fount’ are the words ‘streams of mercy’.  I’m going to look in the big concordance and see if there are any Bible verses about it either way. …  Well, I found lots of verses about mercy and lots about streams, but not together.  Oh well, it doesn't really matter.”

 “You’re right.  I just like the sound of it,” Vera declared.

 When she got home on Monday from her small group meeting in Pine City, Esther informed Ruth, “I was much more able to pay attention and focus on the songs and the teaching time.  I even thanked God during praise time that I had found out about two friends becoming believers.  Later I prayed aloud, during conversational prayer time asking God to help me in witnessing to my co-workers.  I was especially grateful for the handout that had all the names and phone numbers of the people in the group.”

 “I’m glad to hear that.  I know you like to have those facts with your notebook,” Ruth said.

 “Right, and maybe later I’ll learn where they work and how long they’ve lived in Pine City, if I ever need that information.  I already know most of the people from church anyway.  Oh, I forgot to tell you last week, my best friend of many years, Sunny Sanchez, is also in this group,” added Esther.

 “Well, that’s nice for you.  What else happened?” asked Ruth.

 She replied, “During refreshment and fellowship time, I again visited with others in the group so I could let the men come talk to me if they wanted to.  I didn’t want to have people start talking about us.  That will probably happen soon enough.  I was surprised when neither of them came to talk to me.  Perhaps they didn’t want ‘talk’ to start either.  So I decided that was a good thing and enjoyed the rest of the evening.”

 “It sounds like you handled the evening well,” Ruth observed.

 Just then her cell phone rang and Esther was startled.  Then she laughed and said, “I guess I had better get used to that,” as she picked it up, turned the speaker on and said, “Hello, this is Esther speaking.”

 “Hello, Esther, this is Felix.  We wanted to call and let you know that we were not ignoring you at the meeting.  We just didn’t want to get people talking about us, if you know what I mean.”

 “Yes, I know what you mean and I’m thankful for your thoughtfulness.  It was a good meeting.  The teaching time was especially good for this time of the year.  I was glad to be reminded to not just make a bunch of New Years’ resolutions and then forget about them.  It’ll be much more useful to follow the advice in the teaching time to pray and ask God what things he wants me to do or change,” Esther responded.

 “Hi, Esther, this is Nathan and this is like a conference call.  I agree with what you just mentioned.  I really like the way these small groups are organized.  The music is always great, and I like to hear the praises, teaching, and prayer time.  Ruth, are you in on this conference call?  It’s too bad you aren’t in this small group.”

 Ruth answered, “Yes, I’m here.  My small group on Wednesday will be very much like the one you all attended.  I just get a preview tonight by listening to you.”

 By now, they had heard both voices enough to tell who was who, so they recognized that Felix was speaking next.  “We’d like to invite you both to go with us on a fun activity next Saturday afternoon. We found out there’s an ice skating rink in this fine city and wonder if you’d like to go with us.”

 “That does sound like fun,” replied Esther.

 And Ruth responded, “Yes, it does.  What time should we be ready?”

 Nathan answered, “Would 2 PM be a good time for us to pick you up?”  They both answered that it would, so he continued, “They rent skates there, or if you have your own, you can bring them.  There’s a nice area inside with places to sit, rest, and visit when we get tired.”

 “All right, we’ll be ready at 2 PM on Saturday,” said Esther, and then she told them the address and about the intercom.

 “Good, we’ll be looking forward to it,” Felix responded and they all said goodbye.

 Ruth stated, “Well that explained nicely why they didn’t go over and speak to you at the small group.  It sounds like they are really trying to do their best.”

 “How am I ever going to keep track of the good and bad qualities of each of them and figure out how to choose one of them for my husband.  Should I write down everything I can remember in a notebook after every date or time I talk with them?  It seems like an insurmountable, impossible assignment,” Esther worried.

 Ruth replied, “Relax.  Pray and trust Jesus to lead you by his Spirit who lives in you.  Keeping a journal might help, especially here at the beginning of the relationships.  Looking back at your entries from time to time could bring some things into focus.  Mostly just be your own sweet, loving, gracious self and that’ll help them get to know you better also.”

 “You’re right again.  Thank you for your good counsel.  If the three of us younger people are trying too hard to make a good impression it’ll be stressful and phony,” Esther admitted.  “I’ll look forward to having fun on Saturday instead.  It’s been a long time since either of us have been ice skating.”

 “Yes it has.  We can hope our ankles won’t tire out too soon.  Sometimes I feel like I’m getting old,” Ruth admitted.

 “You don’t seem old in my opinion.  But it makes me think about another issue about me.  Neither of the men knows about the cancer I had about five years ago.  The operation I had was able to remove all of the cancer and it hasn’t returned, but I’ll never be able to have a baby.  I guess I need to share that information with them on our next date so they can change their plans if they don’t want a woman who isn’t all there.  It seems like an awkward topic to bring up to two men,” said Esther.

 Ruth agreed, “It is hard, but you could say it like you did just now except you can leave out the part about not being all there.  You are still very much HERE, and I’m tremendously thankful to have my little sister here.”

 Esther responded, “Thank you, Ruth.  I’m thankful to still be here also and I’m very grateful for a wonderful big sister.”

 After turning the phone off, Felix looked at Nathan and they both smiled.  “It appears that we’ve already won enough of their confidence that they will let us pick them up.”

 Nathan agreed.  “Yes, Ruth asked what time to be ready, and Esther even gave us their address and told us how to use the intercom to let them know when we arrive.  Thank you Father, for the progress we’re making.  Help us to continue to do the right things that’ll win more of their confidence.”

 “Yes!  Please help us make our times together be enjoyable and give Esther all the information she’ll need in order to make the choice that will be best for her and be your will,” prayed Felix.

 Then Nathan mentioned, “I was just remembering our conversation with Pastor Don in December.  After we told him how important this project is to us, he asked a lot of questions about our beliefs and emphasized for us to NOT tarnish Ruth or Esther's reputation because those women are very virtuous ladies.”

 “And you replied, ‘Absolutely, Sir!’ and I nodded emphatically.” remembered Felix, “After just one date with them I can see how correct he is.  I’m thankful he gave us the idea to approach our times together as a double date and keep out of the limelight.”

 Nathan continued, “Absolutely, and it was a good idea to tell the facilitators of our small group, Jeff and Karen Spencer, even before the first meeting about our plans so they could pray with us and know we are honorable, respectable men trying to do God’s will in this situation.”

 “Yes it was an excellent idea.  They’re nice people,” Felix replied.  “They didn’t laugh or put us down in any way, and we had a nice time praying together with them before we left their house.”

 Nathan responded, “Indeed, our prayers are being answered.”

 Ruth went to her own small group meeting on Wednesday evening feeling a little relieved that this week was more relaxed than last week had been when they were both stressed out about the upcoming date.  Going ice skating would probably be more fun than so much eating and talking had been.

 Her meeting was very good.  They sang another song about the new year called “Great God, We Sing That Mighty Hand.”  Ruth hadn’t heard it before and the words didn’t make much sense to her as they sang it all the way through.  So she decided to look it up again in her hymnal when she got home.  The teaching time was just as good as Esther had said it had been on Monday.

 Friday evening at the ranch Oscar mentioned, “This valley is even pretty in the winter.  We haven't had as much snow this winter except on the mountains.  They are extra spectacular with the new white snow on them.  I enjoy seeing the different kinds of clouds in the sky above them also.”

 “So do I,” Vera agreed.  “This house and all the visitor cabins were built with good views of the mountains and the valley.  When I need a rest, I enjoy sitting and just savoring our outstanding view.  I’m truly glad these houses were built so each dining room has a picture window looking at the mountains,”

 Oscar continued, “Yes, and look, the horses are running in the pasture.  My parents planned this ranch so well so that the horses never have to be cooped up in a corral, but are always free to walk, run, or graze in one pasture or another.  They have plenty of grass to eat most of the year.  And when the grass is grazed down, we have plenty of hay we’ve harvested from whichever pastures the horses aren’t in during the spring, summer, and fall, since we rotate them from one pasture to another.  All we have to do is scatter the hay around in different places in whatever field they’re in, so their manure is also scattered and helps to fertilize the ground for the next season.  Of course we still have to run the drag in the early spring to break it up and spread it around more.  Plus we have to test the soil, off and on and add some other fertilizers as needed.”

 Vera added, “Yes, and the way the stream goes into and out of Wild Mint Lake keeps the sediments moving up from the bottom and they get spread out on the pastures to help fertilize the hay when we irrigate.  It also helps keep the lake clean with the water flowing in and out of it.  I’m looking forward to spring already.  We have so many wildflowers.  When I have more time after our idea and plans are in place, I’d like to get a wildflower book and learn the names of all the wildflowers I can find.”

 Oscar responded, “What a good idea that is!  I’ll bet some of the girls would enjoy looking and learning with you.  It would be a good way for them to learn about the Creator and his creation.  Let’s order a wildflower book so it can arrive soon.  That way we won’t forget.  It’s also fun to watch the animals we have around here.  Since we have no dogs to scare them off, we have a lot of wildlife.  Just today, I saw several deer grazing in the pasture.  Later a coyote ran across the road up by the outside riding ring just before I came in for supper.”  

 Vera replied, “How terrific!  I need to get outside more in the winter.  Do you remember last spring when we got to see three red fox cubs playing outside their den near Lavender Falls?  They were so cute!  We had our binoculars with us and could see them so clearly.  One of them was sitting watching something in the grass while one of the ferns blowing in the breeze tickled the top of his head.  Pretty soon he pounced on whatever he was watching, but it got away.  I’m glad we put up our sign and the rope across the trail to keep people from getting too close until they were able to leave the den with their parents.”

 “Yes, and we’ll do it again this coming spring and every year, so the fox pair will know they have a safe place to raise their cubs.  I’ll look forward to hiking with our girls, taking binoculars to share so they can see how cute the fox cubs are.  And later we can show them the beautiful falls.  I like the way the water jumps over the first ledge into a little pool and then cascades over rocks for a little way before leaping into the bottom pool.  The lavender colored rocks add so much to the beauty of the area.  I like the way the water makes them shine and be a darker lavender.  The dry rocks are just as pretty in their own way.  Our creator did an amazing job on all his creation,” stated Oscar.

 In Pine City Esther was nervous again just before the gentlemen came to pick them up at 2 PM, Saturday, but she hid it well.  Soon they were at the ice skating rink, putting on their skates, as they talked.  

 Felix admitted, “It’s been years since I’ve done any ice skating, so I don’t know how well I’ll do.  I hope I don’t knock down any other skaters, especially you three.”

 Ruth laughed.  “Maybe we four should stay far away from each other and all the other skaters until we get our skills back.  It’s been a long time for us also and I’m hoping I’ll remember how.”

 The others chuckled and agreed as they all tentatively started out on the ice.  Nobody fell down, but they all looked almost like first time skaters and they wondered why they had thought this would be fun.  Even so, the balance and skill did return to them after a little while, and they started having fun.

 Soon they were ready to have a time of rest in the inside sitting area.  Nathan remarked, “It was fun out there after I remembered how to do it again, but I do seem to get tired more easily than when we were in high school.”

 Esther said, “I agree with you, and it brings to my mind a delicate topic both of you gentlemen need to know about me, because it might be a reason you’d desire to change your plan.”  She proceeded to tell them what she had said to Ruth Monday evening, leaving out the part about not being all there.

 Felix almost blurted out a tease of some kind, but stopped himself just in time and said instead, “Thank you for telling us.  It won’t be a problem for me.”

 Nathan responded, “I thank you also, and I’m glad to hear that you’re well now.  It won’t be a problem for me either.”

 Esther blushed and looked down for a moment before replying, “Thank you both for your gracious acceptance.”

 Ruth rescued them all by suggesting, “If we’ve rested enough, shall we go outside and skate some more?”

 They skated until they got tired again and decided to take off their skates and watch the others for a time.  When they got chilly from being outside they went inside to sit in a quiet corner and visit some more.

 Later Felix asked, “Would anyone care for a hot drink from the refreshment stand over there?”

 Esther answered for Ruth and herself.  “Yes.  Ruth and I both like hot apple cider or juice, if they have any.  If not, whatever you choose will be fine, as long as it has no alcohol in it.”

 As Felix was going, Nathan remarked, “We understand and agree, because we’re teetotalers ourselves.”

 “I’m glad to hear that, because it was always a worry on any of the first or second dates with someone.  Not that I’ve dated so many people, and I usually only went with someone in my small group,” Esther explained.

 Felix returned with steaming cinnamon apple juice and handed the cups around. He was greeted with murmurs of thank you and enjoyment.

 Then Nathan said, “Here’s something you should know about us so you won’t have to worry.  Felix and I have both prayed a lot about our project and we feel we are in the Lord’s will about it.  We wanted to be completely sure of that before we ever told you about it.  We even asked him to take away our love and our desire to try to find you if it wasn’t his will for us to try this plan.  Instead our love and longing increased.

  Felix explained, “We went to see the pastor of Grace ‘n’ Faith church #4, Don Ross, in December about our project so we could get any advice he might have for us.  We gave him all the details like we did for you last Friday.”

 Nathan continued, “He told us this did sound like a very unusual plan, and that the most important thing we should do is pray to ask God if this could be his will for you and us.”

 Felix said, “We assured him that we had prayed before we started trying to find you.  God had pointed us to a few verses that helped to show us his will in this situation.  For example, Proverbs 18:22, Whoever finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor of the LORD, and Proverbs 12:4, a virtuous woman is a crown to her husband.”

 Nathan continued, “So we prayed for God to give one of us the desire of our heart.  Psalm 145:19a says, God will fulfill the desire of those who fear him.”  

 Next Felix described the way Isaac’s bride was chosen.  “It’s a fascinating story in Genesis chapter 24, ending with this part of verse 67.  Isaac brought Rebekah into his mothers Sarah’s tent, and took Rebekah and she became his wife, and he loved her… Whichever man you choose, will love you as much as Isaac loved Rebekah.  In fact he will love you as Christ loved the church, like it says in Ephesians 5:25.”

 Nathan said, “I asked God to show me the way to find out where you live, and the memory of Oscar and Vera Yardley was my next thought.  I wondered why it had never occurred to me beforehand.  I definitely thanked God for that thought.”

 Felix went on, “We had both talked and prayed with our pastor at home, separately and together.  He told us that if our motives and intentions were pure and honorable then it should be all right to go ahead with our plan if we could find you.

 Then Nathan stated, “So, here we are, and here you are!  We are all beginning a big adventure. …”

 Esther was visibly impressed by what they had shared, and even Ruth had moist eyes.  

 “Thank you so much for sharing that with us,” Esther responded.  “Your humility and sincerity are easy to see, and I definitely don’t have to worry about your desires to do God’s will.  So, I’m looking forward to this adventure.  I want both of you to know that I pray daily for my future husband and for God’s guidance in my life so I’ll choose the one HE wants for me.”

 During the Sunday church service, Maria sat with her former college roommate, Julie Blake, who was also her best friend.  Before the service started, Maria asked, “Would you and your husband, Ted, still like to meet at the mall where we can walk for exercise and visit for about 45 minutes?”

 “Yes, it’s the best place for a walk during this cold weather and I need a stretch after sitting in church.  I’m glad Pine City has an inside shopping mall and I always look forward to hearing about your week and telling you about mine,” Julie responded.

 Then the three of them looked up at the big display board at the front of the sanctuary to see what songs were being sung today and the scripture verses that went with them.  Today they’d be singing “Come Let Us Worship and Bow Down,” Psalm 95:6; “What a Wonderful Savior,” John 4:42; “Be Thou My Vision,” Philippians 3:7; and “Be Strong and Take Courage,” 1 Chronicles 28:20.  Julie noticed that the second song was a good one to sing if there were unbelievers in the service.  She thought somebody might have brought visitors and have given the pastor a note to alert him that he needed to include a teaching about the gospel.  He had told Ted and her about this idea when they first moved to Pine City.

 Pastor Don Ross led the singing with the accompaniment of music prepared especially for all the Grace ‘n’ Faith Churches by volunteer musicians and singers from the churches who meet weekly on Thursday evenings after practicing on their own during the week.  They practice together and the music is recorded and transferred to SD cards that the pastors insert in the church's stereo system or the small group facilitators insert into small stereo boom boxes they bring to the meetings.  It always sounds beautiful with all the people singing together.

 Julie especially enjoys singing beside her husband because she gets to hear his very low, mellow voice in the music and next to her as well, since he’s one of the volunteers who sings bass.  He enjoys it for different reasons.  He is truly thankful that he gets to serve the Lord and the church this way, and he has always enjoyed singing and music.

 After they sang the last song, Pastor Don began the teaching time.  “Today we’ll continue on the same theme as last week since this is the beginning of a new year.  Last week we talked about how important it is to use our time wisely, and to trust in God’s grace.  We were reminded that God is in control and he plans and shapes believers’ lives.

 “Our first song today was totally based on Psalm 95:6, 7a.  Come, let us worship and bow down.  Let us kneel before the LORD our God our maker.  For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.  Praising God is a wonderful way to begin every day of every year.  You can do this by choosing a Psalm out of the Bible or a hymn or spiritual song out of the hymnal.  Read and think about the words.  You can also buy SD cards at the church office and have the music to sing along with, in your homes.  The SD cards are very inexpensive.

 “Our second song today reminded us of our wonderful Savior. Part of John 4:42 states, Jesus really is the savior of the world.  In this case the world means the people living on earth.  Just last month at Christmas time, we celebrated the coming of Jesus to earth as a baby who grew up to teach about the Kingdom of God, heal many people, and show them how much he loved them.  Remember the angel told Joseph to name the baby, Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins, as it says in Matthew 1:21.

 “You might ask why people need to be saved from their sins, which is a very good question.  One very good answer is that people’s sins separate them from a holy God who never sins.  Sins keep people from being able to go to heaven when they die.  This holy God created the first people, Adam and Eve, so he could have fellowship with them, but they listened to the devil’s lie and sinned.  This broke their fellowship with God and brought on them and the whole human race the penalty of eternal separation from God after they die.  But because God loved them so much, he made a way for them to be forgiven through the blood shed by an animal he killed to make clothing for them.  All through the Old Testament, animals were sacrificed to be a picture of the final perfect sacrifice.  Listen to Hebrews 7: 27a.  Special priests were to offer up sacrifice, first for (their) own sins, and then for the sins of the people.

 “What was the final perfect sacrifice?  It was Jesus, the perfect Son of God who never sinned even once.  He willingly came to this earth leaving his glorious position in heaven so he could pay the price for all the sins of all the people from the beginning to the end of time.  Listen as I continue reading in Hebrews 9:12.  Not by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood …  (Jesus) obtained eternal redemption for us.

 “How did he do this?  He willingly let them crucify him on a cross.  Just before he died, he asked God to forgive them.  After he died, they buried him, but on the third day, he rose from the grave and lives forever, proving that God accepted his perfect sacrifice, and that animal sacrifices were no longer needed.

 “What does all this mean for people?  It means that people can be saved.  How?  First you need to admit that you have sinned, then confess your sins to God and ask him to forgive you.  Plus you need to believe in Jesus.  Find Acts 16: 30,31 and follow along with me.  (A man) asked, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’  (Paul) answered, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved.’  Believe means to trust in Jesus and rely on what he accomplished and to accept him as your Savior.  If you’d like to do that today, I’ll help you pray right now.

 “Everybody, please bow your heads.  If you’d like to have Jesus be your Savior silently repeat after me.  God, my creator, I admit that I am a sinner. …  I confess these sins to you. …  Name silently, the ones you think of right now. …  Please forgive me. …  Thank you that Jesus was the perfect sacrifice. …  He paid for my sins by dying on the cross and rising from the dead. …  I believe in you, Jesus, and ask you to be my Savior. … Thank you, Jesus.

 “My friends, if you prayed that prayer with me, you are now new believers and members of God’s family.  You’ll spend the rest of this earthly life in fellowship with him and his family, and continue it in heaven after you die.  When this service is over, please tell someone here about it.  Then please come up here and tell me, so I can rejoice with you and give you a booklet that explains what you did and what steps to take next.”

 Julie decided to watch and see who might go up to the pastor after the service, so she and Ted could go welcome them into God’s family and rejoice with them.  She wanted them to feel the same friendliness and acceptance this church had shown to them when they had moved from another state to Pine City in March of the year before.  

 Pastor Don continued the teaching time by saying, “Our third song today should be very helpful to people in our congregation who are contemplating new goals or directions for their lives.  It would be helpful to pray verse three as a way to remind you how important it is to remember to keep the Lord in first place as you continue with your goals after you have received guidance from him about whether these goals are his will for you.”

 As she was taking notes on the sermon, Esther quickly wrote the song title, “Be Thou My Vision” and put verse three next to it.  Then she reminded herself to continue to pray for guidance.  She was so pleased with what Nathan and Felix had told her on their skating date.  She smiled and relaxed as she continued to listen to the teaching time and take notes.

 If she had happened to glance in their direction, she would have seen them nudge each other and smile, obviously glad they had been able to share their thoughts with her before this sermon.

 Next, Pastor Don said, “Please find 1 Chronicles 28:20 and read it aloud with me.  David said to Solomon his son, ‘Be strong and of good courage, and do it.  Fear not nor be dismayed, for the LORD my God will be with you.  He will not fail you nor forsake you.  You will finish all the work for the service of the house of the LORD.’  Then Solomon went ahead with the building of the temple, knowing it was God’s will and that God would help him.  It was a gigantic project, but with the help of the LORD he did it.  The words to our last song should be a great encouragement to any of you who are planning something that looks to you like an enormous undertaking.”

 Vera wrote that reference and the song title in her notebook and smiled, knowing that what her pastor had said was very true.

 The pastor closed the service and a young couple went to talk to him and receive the little booklet he had offered. He was elated and told them how happy he was for them. The booklet he gave them had a little card inside.  It said, "Please fill me out and bring me back to church and give me to the pastor next week if you would like a visit from the pastor or would like to join a group especially for new believers."  It had a place for their names, address, and phone number.  New believer groups would be started soon to teach these people how to live the Christian life, and most of them would continue as regular small groups.

 When the couple had finished talking to Pastor Don, Ted and Julie went to greet them, and helped them to feel welcome.

 As people got up and started to move around after the church service, Vera said goodbye to Nathan and Felix and went to talk to Betty and Walt Evans.  “I’d like to invite you to dinner this evening.  We’d like to have time to visit, and we have a project we desire to tell you about.  Since you’re a contractor, Walt, we want to give you the ‘right of first refusal.’  If this project isn’t one you’d want to do, we’ll try to find someone else.”

 Walt responded, “Thank you Vera.  Dinner and visiting sound delightful and of course I’m always interested in new projects.”

 Betty asked, “What can I bring, and what time do you want us to be there?  We do know the way to get to your wonderful dude ranch.  I enjoy the ride any time of year.”

 Vera answered, “Come as soon as you can, after 5 PM so we can have plenty of time to visit and eat before we share our new ideas.  Would you please bring a heart healthy dessert and your recipe for it?  We heard that Walt’s doctor recommended that he stay on a healthy diet even though Jesus totally healed Walt from a massive heart attack a few months ago.  It would probably be a good idea for all people to eat in a more healthy manner.”

 “I agree.  We both feel much better on this healthier diet.  If you’d like, I can bring a copy of what the dietitian suggested.  It was hard to get used to this kind of cooking at first, but it was good for my brain to have to do different things,” said Betty.

 “Yes, please bring that copy and maybe we can discuss it while Walt and Oscar go over the details of our project,” Vera replied.

 “Okay, we’ll see you shortly after 5 this evening,” said Walt.

 Esther went directly to see Fiona Anderson after church, since she had made arrangements with her earlier in the week.

 “Welcome, Esther, it’s good to have you come for a visit.  Would you like a quick tour of our home, which I think you know was finished and furnished as a wedding gift to us from Walt and Betty Evans?” Fiona asked.

 “Yes, please.  I’d enjoy that a lot.  This is a fabulous present” Esther responded.

 As they walked through the house Fiona explained each room, the furnishings, and reasons they had done certain things.

 “I really like this sewing room and all the storage you had built into it,” said Esther.  “I wish we had an extra room in our apartment just for sewing so I could leave projects out instead of having to put everything away each time I do any sewing.”

 “Yes, it’s a wonderful help, and as you can see, there’s a door right into the nursery so I can be close to our baby, when he or she arrives, and still be able to sew,” Fiona mentioned.

 Esther inquired, “You mean your doctor hasn’t told you?”

 Fiona laughed.  “Matt and I think it’s more fun to wonder and it adds to the anticipation, so we won’t let the doctor tell us.”

 Esther joined in the laughter.  “I understand what you mean.  Your nursery looks like it as almost ready for your first baby.  How many more months do you have?”

 “I think about three.  Look, we put a door from the nursery into our bathroom so we can pass through quickly from our bedroom.  “Let’s go through here and you can see the beautiful cherry wood furniture we got for this room,” suggested Fiona.

 “This is lovely.  I think cherry is one of my favorite woods.  I really like the bed without head and footboards.  It must be much easier to make the bed without them in the way,” observed Esther.

 Fiona replied, “It sure is!  We agreed to not have them in any of the bedrooms, and now I don’t have to skin my knuckles trying to put on the sheets and blankets.”

 As they went back into the open concept kitchen, dining, living, exercise area, Esther exclaimed, “I truly like the way your kitchen is arranged, and the dining and living room areas really match!  Your bookshelves very effectively hide the exercise equipment.”

 Fiona responded, “Thank you.  Matt started building this house with me in mind even though we didn’t know how long I’d be gone or if we’d continue dating when I returned after taking care of my Great Aunt Cara.  It was two long years for both of us.  

 We did continue dating, and Matt and I worked together to add and change things in his house plans just before Walt and his two work crews arrived to continue and finish the house.  Since none of the inside walls had been put in place we were able to make a lot of beneficial changes.  The book shelves and sewing room storage places were all custom built and can be moved if and when we’d like.  We were really given a wonderful gift!”

 “I’m so glad for you,” Esther declared. “This is great!”

 Fiona quickly showed her their office, and then the two other bedrooms that were being used to give two couples preparing to be missionaries a place to live while they studied at the church school of evangelism.

 “Now we better talk about the important topic you came here to discuss,” remarked Fiona as she took Esther back into the office so they could sit in the comfortable chairs while they talked.  “After you called me, I got busy on the word processor and made a list of all the things I could think of that would be a help to you as you are evaluating those two men so you can choose the one who’d be better for you.  I have never heard of a situation like you explained to me on the phone, but with God leading all of you, it should be an interesting and unusual adventure.”

 Esther responded, “I agree, and I’m so thankful that they told me they’ve prayed about it and have assurance that it is God’s will for them to do this project.”  She took the pages Fiona handed to her and read through them.  “This is a wonderful summary of the book I had read, and some new ideas also that’ll be immensely helpful to me.  It’s great to have it all right here together, because it’ll be much easier to check things off as we go.  Thank you very much, Fiona, for all your extra effort.”

 “You’re very welcome.  Now we have enough time to pray together before you have to leave,” added Fiona.  When they finished praying, Esther felt even better about the adventure she was beginning.

 Walt and Betty Evans arrived at the Yardley Dude Ranch just a few minutes after 5 PM that same Sunday evening.  Betty stated, “Oscar, Vera, this is the loveliest valley and the view of those mountains all covered with snow is spectacular.  I think I’d be tempted to sit and look out that window all day instead of working!”

 Vera replied, “You’re right!  It is a temptation, but I’ve told myself I can only sit and look if I need a rest or if my work for the day is finished.  Let’s sit here at the table while we visit for a while.  Dinner’s almost ready in the slow cooker.  I’ll put your delicious looking dessert in the refrigerator and be right back.”

 She brought a book with her when she returned, and put it down in front of Betty.  “This is a book about the mountains in that range.  This picture was taken from an area with almost the same view as we have here.  All the mountains with names are labeled in this picture.  But it amazes me how many mountains don’t have names!”

 “Oh, this is wonderful.  I always like to know the names of mountains, streams, trees, and other things in God’s amazing creation.  They mean more to me that way,” explained Betty.  “Have you learned the names of the mountains?”

 Vera smiled.  “I admit that I have.  So you can tell that I did sit right here with this book every time I needed a rest, and matched the picture with the mountains so I could memorize all their names.  They also mean more to me when I know their names, or if I want to point out a particular mountain to Oscar who has also memorized them.”

 He added, “It has enhanced our enjoyment of them.”

 Walt commented, “I understand what you mean.  Knowing the names of things the other person is talking about makes for much better communication.  Betty has learned the names of all the tools and processes in my construction business and when I tell her about what I’m doing she comprehends more easily.”

 Betty said, “Walt has done the same thing with all the things I use and do in homemaking.  It’s such a good feeling to be understood when we’re talking, and not have to keep explaining the same thing over and over again.  Walt is a very good listener!”

 Oscar said, “Vera and I also work toward listening well.  I’m getting hungry.  Shall we continue visiting while we eat?”

 They enjoyed the tasty meal, delicious dessert and more conversation.  All hands helped with clearing the table, putting away leftovers, and cleaning up the dishes.  Then they went to sit in the living room since it was too dark to see the mountains now.

 Oscar mentioned, “I certainly did enjoy our visiting time.  Now Vera and I would like to explain our idea to you and ask you to pray about whether God would want you to be our contractor to help put this plan into motion.”

 He and Vera took turns telling Walt and Betty about their plan to turn the dude ranch into a cluster of Caring Foster Homes for abused girls.  Then they handed them a copy of their ideas to have the smaller cabins remodeled with extra bedrooms and bathrooms added as needed.  A one car garage and storage area would also be added to every cabin, since families would live in them all through the year.  The big house would need to be remodeled to accommodate two Caring Foster Homes, one upstairs and one downstairs, plus an extra garage and storage area for the upstairs home.  The upstairs home would need a kitchen, dining room, and laundry room added to it.

 Oscar explained, “Vera and I would continue living in the downstairs area and would like rooms for us to also have four foster girls in our care.  Perhaps now would be a good time for us to give you a tour of both areas so you can better understand what we’re describing.”  So they all went on the grand tour.

 Walt declared, “It really did help to see both areas.  We can grasp much better what you mean now.  Could Betty and I go into your living room and pray about this project right now?”

 “Of course.  Oscar and I will go make all of us some herbal tea and meet you at the dining room table when you’re ready.  Do you like peppermint?”  They nodded, so that was settled.

 Pretty soon they all gathered at the table and enjoyed their first sips of the delightful tea.

 Betty declared, “This tea is really good.  I’ll add it to my list.”

 Walt smiled as he expressed, “Yes, it is good.  Betty and I prayed and we feel that God would like to have my company with both of its crews to do all these remodel projects so you can transform your dude ranch into a ministry of telling the Good News to those girls and helping to restore them to joyful, useful lives.”

 Betty added, “We’re excited for you and we’ll be praying for you.  It is a huge undertaking, but you can handle it with God’s help and guidance and his servants to help you.”

 Walt continued, “I’d like to come out here next Saturday and spend as much time as I need to, taking pictures and looking at the cabins so I can start making floor plans.  Then I can give you a bid on how much time and money it might take,” explained Walt.  “Feel free to get other bids also if you want to compare.”

 Vera responded, “Wonderful!  Thank you both for coming out here today and bringing dessert.  Betty, if you have time, come with Walt on Saturday.  Plan to eat lunch with us that day.  We can go over any questions I have about the healthy diet suggestions.  If you’ll also bring your recipes, I can scan the ones I think we’ll like into my computer and get copies of them that way.  We’ll use some of your recipes for lunch.”

 “I like your idea, Vera.  I’d love to come spend some more time with you, and I hope it’ll be a clear day so we can enjoy the mountains together,” Betty replied.

 Walt added, “Thank you for the delicious dinner, the visiting time, and for considering us as a contractor possibility.  We’ll look forward to coming here on Saturday.  Is 9 AM a good time for us to arrive?”  Oscar nodded and goodbyes were said.

 In Pine City Tuesday evening after supper cleanup, Esther was again sitting at the table with the printouts Fiona had given her and her journal.  Ruth sat across the table from her, studying her sister’s intense expression.  After a short time, she asked, “Is something bothering you, Esther?  I didn’t want to interrupt you, but I need to know.”

 “Oh, hi.  No, I’m fine.  I was just concentrating and writing down some observations in my journal.  Listen to this.  I already know that both of them are believers, they desire to do God’s will, they are committed to this project, they treat us as gentlemen should treat ladies, they care about how I feel, they aren’t being pushy, but will allow me whatever time I need to get to know them well enough to choose wisely, and they’re trying to make our double dates fun even for my dear sister,” she replied.

 Ruth commented, “Therefore you already have several things checked off the list you received from Fiona on Sunday.”

 “Yes, and that’s good.  The frustration you saw on my face is because they are both doing everything right so far, and if this keeps on, it’ll be hard for me to choose between them.  I already know your answer to this frustration,” Esther acknowledged.  “So I will be patient and get to know them better.  Eventually God will show me which one is the better husband for me.”

 Ruth nodded and expressed, “I’m proud of you, Esther.  You worked through all of that on your own and you don’t seem frustrated now.  It has only been a couple weeks and two dates, and already you’ve learned a lot about those two men.  What are some other things on your lists?”

 Esther read aloud, “How do they win or lose, how do they treat my family, what are his listening skills, does he ask for and value my opinion, does he criticize others or me, does he ignore, put down, disagree or argue, tease or make fun of me or others as a general rule?  How does he treat others and talk about them when they aren’t present.  What are his views about premarital sex?  Watch out if he ever uses what you’ve said against you later.  Find out what movies he likes or what he watches on TV or the internet.  That’s only about half of them.”

 Ruth agreed.  “I was just going to say that it’s a very long list.  We know you can’t expect perfection, but those are essential things to find out before you can make a wise choice.”

 “You’re right.  Here’s the rest of the list.  Be sure to discuss all issues that are important to you and to him, or to them in this case.  I notice the list singled it down to one person, but I have to know about both of them.  It’s not safe to assume that church and small groups will continue to be important to them, so we need to discuss that topic along with how much money to give to the Lord’s work and where to give it.  Finances are a point of possible disagreement, so budgets and spending need to be discussed.  What place does God have in their lives and what does God want them to do in the future?  How does it mesh with God’s plan for me?  Are we in unity on all the important issues?” finished Esther.

 “Wow!” exclaimed Ruth.  “I’m glad it’s you and not me who is looking for the best man to be a husband.  This will truly be an adventure for you, made even harder because you have to evaluate two men at once.  But I think you can handle the task because, you can do all things with the help of Jesus who gives you the strength, as I paraphrased Philippians 4:13.”

 “Yes, thank you, Jesus, for being my strength and my master who is in control of my life.  I’m glad I can trust you,” she prayed.

 Ruth continued, “I agree and ask you, Jesus, for peace and joy as we continue together in this adventure.”

 “Amen!  I think I’ll go through the list and highlight the items that are the most important to me or would be the hardest for me to live with if they are negative things.  I also think it would be a good idea if the men and I would write what our thoughts are on the most important issues and let each other read them.  A book I read said we need to find out if we aren’t going to be compatible before we go very much further in the dating process.  The men made it sound easy, but there’s nothing easy about a lifelong decision!” Esther emphasized.

 “Those are good ideas,” Ruth agreed.  Just then the phone rang, and Ruth looked at the caller ID.  “It’s for you, dear sister.”

 “Hello, Nathan and Felix.  This is Esther speaking.”

 Felix said, “Hi, Esther, is Ruth there listening also?”

 “Yes, I’m right here,” she replied, smiling at Esther who almost laughed out loud about how funny it was to be talking with several people on the same call.

 Nathan stated, “I’m here also, so we’re all accounted for.  We have an idea for another fun date this coming Saturday.  We heard about a butterfly pavilion that’s open even in the winter, in a city not very far from here.”

 Felix continued, “It would be a nice warm place to spend the morning enjoying some of God’s amazing creation in the middle of winter.  Afterward, we could go to a restaurant we know of that serves many choices of food, buffet style.  It would take most of the day, if we leave here right after breakfast, let’s say, 8:30.  We would get you back home in time for you to fix your own supper.”

 Esther replied, “It sounds like a wonderful day to me and I can see Ruth smiling, so she thinks so too.  That butterfly pavilion is a place I’ve been desiring to go to for a long time.  You guys come up with good ideas.  We’ll be looking forward to it and be ready to go with you at 8:30 this coming Saturday morning.”

 Goodbyes all around, and the connection closed.  Then Esther and Ruth laughed about the strange phone conversation until the tears ran down their cheeks.  It helped to relieve the stress of their earlier discussion.

 Then Esther said, “I plan to take three copies of the issues so we can add or subtract issues at the restaurant.  I’ll suggest that we write at home what I’ll call our individual thesis or dissertation on important issues and bring them to our next date.  Then I’ll suggest that we go to the shopping mall since there are places to sit in conversation groupings.  If I make two copies of mine, and they make one apiece, we can read them at the same time and then discuss them.”

 “What am I going to read?” asked Ruth, ready to laugh again.

 “You can bring an inspirational romance novel I could loan to you.”  Ruth cracked up again and Esther joined in.

 Ruth observed, “This is kind of fun, you’ll have to admit.”

 “Yes it is!  This is the biggest adventure I’ve ever been on in my life, so I’m determined to enjoy it all I can,” agreed Esther.

 After Wednesday supper cleanup, Pastor Don and Anita Ross were conversing in the living room while they watched their two children playing quietly.  Timmy’s five, and Mary’s four.

 “I liked the way you shortened the teaching time to include a salvation message.  You still made your other points very well, and I was thrilled to see a young couple go up for a booklet at the end of the service,” Anita commented.

 “So was I!  We’ll need to see how many new believers we have and think about starting a small group for them to learn how to live their new lives.  As I was talking, it was fun to watch certain people in the congregation nod in agreement or start writing quickly in their notebooks so they could remember something I said.  The two new young men looked especially pleased about something I had said.  I enjoy being a pastor,” Don finished.

 Timmy came up right then to show his parents something he had made out of interlocking blocks.  “Look, I even put a hinge in here so the door could open and close.”

 “Timmy makes good things,” said Mary.

 “So do you, Mary.  Show what you made,” he instructed.

 Anita praised them.  “Both of them are very good.  We enjoy seeing the things you can build with the sets we bought for you.”

 “Yes, and I can see that your idea to combine the two sets was a good idea, Mary, because you can build bigger and different things than you could have with just separate sets,” added Don.

 “Thank you, Daddy.  We have fun sharing,” stated Mary.

 “Do you think we’ll get to play with the twins this Saturday?  I miss having them come here on Saturday mornings,” said Timmy.

 “I do too.  Hope and Joy are fun to play with,” Mary added.

 “Now that we’re in kindergarten, they don’t come here on Tuesdays and Thursdays anymore,” Timmy noted.

 Don answered, “We understand.  Things really changed a lot when you and the twins started going to school.  We’ll give their parents a call and see what their plans are.  Maybe we can work out something.”

 Both children thanked him and went back to play again.

 “We were right about needing to make a time for them to play with the twins,” Anita remarked.  “Mary has mentioned them several times during the last couple of weeks.  Even Timmy misses them.  Would you like me to go call Sherry right now while you rest and watch the children?”

 “That’s a good idea.  Then the children won’t be able to hear the conversation in case they can’t come this weekend,” said Don.

 In a few minutes she was back with a smile.  “They’ll all look forward to coming over here this coming Saturday morning at the usual 9 AM time like they did for last year’s small group.”

 When they informed the children, they were delighted!  Timmy said, “Thank you, Mama, for calling them.”  She nodded, smiled and gave both of them hugs.

 Sherry Foster put the phone back in its holder and she and Roy went back into the living room where Joy and Hope were putting a puzzle together.

 “Guess what, girls,” said Roy.

 Hope asked, “What, Daddy?” Then she and Joy ran over to him with anticipation.

 “You have to guess,” Roy instructed.

 “We’re going out somewhere to have ice cream cones for dessert tonight,” guessed Hope.

 “No, it’s even better than that,” Sherry declared.

 “I think I know,” stated Joy, jumping up and down.  “We get to go play with Timmy and Mary soon.”

 “Correct.  Mrs. Ross just called and invited us over there this coming Saturday morning at 9 AM.  Since this is Wednesday it’s just two more school days, and the next day will be Saturday.  You children can play while we grownups visit,” agreed Roy.

 “Hurrah!  You’re right, this is so much better than ice cream!” exclaimed Hope.  “I’ve missed getting to play with Timmy and Mary now that we’re going to kindergarten.”  

 “For sure!  I miss going to their day care two times a week.  We had fun playing with all the rest of the children too,” Joy added.

 The identical five-year-old twin girls joined hands, leaned back, and swung each other around in a circle.  Then they gave each parent a hug and thanks for the nice surprise before going to work on the puzzle again.

 Sherry commented, “Anita thought Mary would be the one missing the other three, but they all miss each other.”

 Roy agreed, “Yes, it has been a big change for all four of the children.  I’m glad Joy and Hope got to spend that time with the day care children.  Your idea for the last eight months of last year was great.  By sewing or doing housework for Anita two mornings a week, the twins could be there in her day care and learn how to get along with a larger group of children before going to the church school’s kindergarten.”

 “Thank you, Roy.  Your extra help here at home those days was much appreciated also.  The girls were able to learn a lot of Bible stories and songs by being there those two mornings each week.  They’ve told me about a few of the ones that are the same as they’ve heard at school the last couple weeks.  I’m sure it has helped them with the transition.  Being able to watch them as I volunteer in each of their classrooms twice a week has been immensely helpful to me.  I can see how some of the things they learned at Anita’s day care did help them when they started kindergarten. Jesus has really blessed us, especially with his mercy and salvation.  Thank you, Jesus!” Sherry finished.

 On Friday evening Ruth and Esther arrived early to have supper with their parents and Jason, but he wasn’t there yet, so Anna had time to ask, “How’s it going, Esther?”

 “It’s going well because I have Ruth to keep me headed in the right direction when I start worrying and getting frustrated.”  She told about going to see Fiona, studying the lists, and wondering how she was ever going to keep everything straight.  “But I am looking forward to our date tomorrow.”

 “So am I,” inserted Ruth.  “We’re going to the Butterfly Pavilion. It’s a place Esther and I both have been wanting to see.  Then we’ll eat at a buffet restaurant.  I’m afraid I’ll gain weight on these dates, though.  I better start getting more exercise.”

 Esther agreed, then asked, “I’d like to know what you think about this idea.”  Then she told them what she planned to do at the restaurant after they finished eating.  “Then I’ll suggest that our next date be at the inside shopping mall where we can sit, read, and discuss those important issues.  There might be no need to continue these dates if they or I feel we wouldn’t be compatible.”

 William responded, “It’s a good idea, Esther, and if you mention that last statement in a gentle way they’ll probably agree.”

 “How should I say it?” she asked.  There was silence while the three others thought about her question.

 Finally Anna suggested, “What if you thank them graciously for the fun dates and good food so far?  Then say you’re worried about the amount of money they’re having to spend on double dates.  Say you’ve read a book that suggests discussing important issues early on in the dating process, so the couples can find out if they’d be compatible.  Then tell them your idea and ask what they think.  How does that sound, William?” she asked.

 William smiled at his beloved wife and said,  “It sounds really gentle and caring just like you always are, my dear.  I’m a very privileged man to have such a wonderful wife!”

 Esther exclaimed, “This is the kind of marriage I desire to have! One just like my parents have.”

 “This kind of marriage doesn't just happen,” William explained to her. “It takes both people agreeing to work at it.  When we were first married, we both had a lot of adjusting to do.  But we agreed to listen to, and discuss with each other until we reached an agreeable solution for both people.”

 Anna nodded her head and added, “It was even better after we became believers because we could pray and get help from our wonderful Savior and the Holy Spirit, who lives inside us.

 “Thank you both for explaining.  Back to my question, I like your idea, Mom.  I’ll write it and the other explanation down right now so I’ll remember them,” Esther responded.

 Jason arrived as soon as Esther finished writing and the four of them informed him about the happenings in his sisters’ lives.

 “Wow!  I’m glad my life isn’t as exciting as yours is.  But I hope you will find the best man to be your husband since you still want to get married, Esther.  After my fiasco last spring and summer, I think I’m probably better off staying single so I don’t end up frustrating a woman and making her miserable.  I learned a lot through that situation and I’m sorry I upset Maria in the process.”

 Ruth responded, “Don t worry about Maria.  She’s doing fine, and has gone back to her original decision to remain single.  I’m glad she’s working in my office building; she has become a good friend.”

 “It’s good to hear that.  She is so special.  I’m also very thankful that God used her to help get my attention and turn me away from my wrong thinking about good works being the way to go to heaven when I die.  Now I know Jesus is the only way!” Jason exclaimed.

 “We’re grateful too!” Anna exclaimed.  They had a nice time of praising and thanking God again.  Then she said, “I’m getting hungry.  Girls, shall we go put dinner on the table?”

Chapter 3

Luke 14:28, Which of you, intending to build a tower does not first sit down and count the cost,

to see if he has sufficient to finish it?

 Early Saturday morning after a quick breakfast, Walt and Betty Evans were scurrying around to get all the things together they’d need to take with them to the Yardley Dude Ranch.  Betty gathered all her recipes and put them in her purse.  Then she got his warm coat and boots, and the camera with extra batteries ready for Walt to use there, while he went into his office and put everything he thought he might need into a briefcase.

 He remarked, “If I had done all this last night, we wouldn’t have to hurry so much right now.”

 “I know, but don’t be hard on yourself.  We were pretty busy last night doing other things.  We’ll make it.  It only takes about 20 minutes to drive up to the ranch from here,” Betty responded.

 Later as they were on the way, Walt mentioned, “When I first heard their idea on Sunday evening, I wondered why anybody would choose to change a good paying dude ranch into a home for abused girls.  But as I listened to their explanation it kind of reminded me of what we wanted to do for the child we were never able to have.  It’s a way for them to do something useful for others and leave a legacy.”

 Betty replied, “Yes, and I remember how good it felt to be able to finish and furnish Matt’s house as a wedding present, since he is like a son to us.  He and Fiona were so grateful and like it so much.  Just seeing their enjoyment, made it really worthwhile for us.  It’s like a gift that keeps on giving to them and to us as well.  It says somewhere, it is more blessed to give than to receive.  I’ll look it up in the concordance when I get home.”  (She did that, and found it in Acts 20:35)

 They arrived at the dude ranch right on time and were welcomed in as if they were paying guests.

 “Come right into the dining room first so we can have a nice hot cup of cherry tea with honey and let you see the morning light on those beautiful mountains,” invited Vera.

 “Oh wow!  It’s so spectacular, I’m going to take a picture of it,” Betty stated as she went to get the camera and her coat.

 “Come right over here on this side and I’ll open the window so you won’t even have to go outside,” suggested Oscar.  “We removed the screen from this side so we could see better.  Vera’s our photographer and uses this window pretty often.”

 “Thank you.  This will be a wonderful memory of our day here.”  Betty quickly took several pictures including some telephoto shots.

 Walt observed, “I can understand why you’d need very good self discipline to leave this view and go get your work done instead of sitting here to enjoy it.”

 Oscar replied, “This view is a wonderful blessing and it’s a very nice reward to be able to sit here and savor it when the work is finished or if we need a rest in the middle of a hard job.”

 “I’m sure it is!” exclaimed Walt.  “This tea is delicious and the view is marvelous.” Later he said, “Now, if you’ll point me to one of the small cabins I’ll go look at it and make some measurements, draw a floor plan of the way it is right now, and write some notes.”

 Oscar offered, “If you like, I’ll come with you to hold the tape measure and answer any questions you might have.”

 “Thank you for your good idea.  It’ll be a great help,” Walt responded as he went to get his coat and the camera.  “I notice that there’s no snow out there so I won’t need my boots.  There was snow at our house this morning.”

 Oscar replied, “We have an interesting phenomenon here in Mercy Valley.  It has its own microclimate, and it usually doesn’t get as much rain or sow as elsewhere.””

 “It’s a good thing you can irrigate then!” exclaimed Walt.

 The men left, so Vera and Betty got busy with questions and recipes.  Vera only had a few questions about the healthy diet, which Betty answered easily.  There were quite a few recipes to read through, and she had some questions about them.  As she read, she made two piles of the cards.  The biggest pile was the one with recipes Vera thought they’d like.

 “Now let’s go scan these so I can make copies of them.  After that, we can choose the ones we’ll use to make lunch,” said Vera as she led the way into the office.

 When they were finished, they went back to the dining room table and Vera inquired, “Which of these are Walt’s favorites?”

 After looking through them Betty answered, “These three make one of his favorite meals.  Do you have these ingredients today?”

 She handed them to Vera who read through them and replied, “Yes, when I went shopping on Wednesday, I had fun getting healthy type food ingredients, so we’re all set,” explained Vera.  Then she looked at her watch and added, “Now that we finished that job, we’ve earned fifteen minutes to rest and enjoy of the view while we visit.”

 “I like this way to work and be rewarded,” declared Betty.

 Later, lunch was ready, and the men had returned.  Walt and Betty were given the best seats to see the view as they ate.

 “This is one of my favorite meals.  I can see that the two of you have had a busy morning,” Walt complimented.

 “Thank you.  It was so helpful for me to have a good instructor to help me as I tried out these new recipes.  Plus she gave me tips for the other new recipes.  I’ll bet it wasn’t as easy for her to start cooking this way,” commented Vera.

 “No, but she was up to the challenge.  She has always been a very good cook and she made the transition easy and delicious for both of us,” stated Walt smiling at his dear wife.

 After lunch Oscar and Walt went back outside to make measurements for the other garage and storage room for the upstairs home in the big house.

 Betty and Vera washed dishes and cleaned up the kitchen.  Then they sat in the living room admiring the valley and the hillside.  

 Betty commented, “I like the pinyon pine trees on the uphill side of Mercy Stream.  Their needles are such a brilliant green.  It’s nice to have evergreen trees especially in the winter when the deciduous trees have lost their leaves.”

 Vera responded, “Yes, and it’s fun to try and get some of their edible nuts before the birds and squirrels have eaten them all.  The juniper trees are pretty also even though their needles are just bluish green.  They often grow in the same areas where the pinyon pine trees grow.  The birds like to eat their greenish colored berries.  I especially like to see the cedar waxwing birds eat those berries as they come through here on their migration back to the south in the fall.  The brown and gray feathers on their backs and wings go well with the yellow on their breasts.  The crests on their heads don't stand up very often, but they look good even when they’re lying flat.  I keep my binoculars handy so I can see them.”

 When the men came inside, they went upstairs for more photos, measurements and planning.  It took more time and planning up there, in order to include a kitchen, dining, and laundry area for that home, since the upstairs was mostly bedrooms and bathrooms.  They had been used for couples or families who didn’t want a cabin, but would rather eat whatever Vera would be cooking.  One of the many bathrooms could be renovated to be the laundry area. The bedroom that went with it could be used as part of the kitchen.  A large bedroom and its bathroom would have space and plumbing for the rest of the kitchen, plus an area for the dining room with a view of the mountains.  The sitting room upstairs would do nicely for a living room.

 Walt drew a quick sketch of the floor plan as it was, so he could figure the best way to convert it into a foster home.  “Do you wish to have this be a split plan with the master bedroom on one end and the girls bedrooms on the other, or do you think it would be better to have all of them in one area, like they’ll be in the cabins?” asked Walt.

 “Let me ask Vera what she thinks.  We need to decide some other things for our downstairs home, and we’ll ask Betty for her ideas on this question also,” answered Oscar.

 So they discussed it for a while in the living room.  They decided that it would be best to have all the bedrooms in one area, the same way they’d be in all the cabins.

 Then they toured the downstairs again and made decisions as needed for that area.  Walt took more photos, drew another quick floor plan for the downstairs area, and wrote many things in his notebook.  It worked well to have all four of them looking at and discussing this area together.  They came up with a lot of ideas that would make it a comfortable home for Oscar, Vera, and four foster girls.

 Walt stated, “This has been a very productive and enjoyable day.  With all this information, I should be able to draw preliminary floor plans and give you a good idea about how much it’ll cost and how long it’ll take to do this remodeling and build all the additions.  I might as well warn you right now, it will cost a lot, because you need to add rooms and bathrooms to four cabins, plus garages and storage areas for all the cabins and for the upstairs home, and so much remodeling to do upstairs.  In addition to all of that of course, you’ll have to get and pay for a building permit.”

 Oscar replied, “Thank you for your honesty.  We aren’t surprised, because we did a little research before we asked you to come out here.  We have the money to pay for it, and it’ll be money well spent.  This dude ranch has been very profitable for many years and we’ve saved and invested as much as we could for just as many years, and have gotten a good return.”

 Vera exclaimed, “We’re so excited about our plans for this ranch!  Thank you, Walt and Betty, for coming here today to make an estimate for us.  We enjoyed visiting with you also.”

 “You’re very welcome,” Betty replied.  “Thank you both for being such gracious hosts.  We’d love to have you come to our home sometime soon so we could give you our bid, but just seeing all the interruptions your paying guests make in your daily life here, we understand that you wouldn’t be able to both come at the same time.  Therefore, as soon as Walt’s ready to show you the plans and the estimate, we’ll invite ourselves to come here again.”  She smiled in a kidding sort of way.

 The rest laughed at her self-invitation and then Vera said, “Of course!  You may come visit us any time.  You don’t even have to wait until the estimate’s finished.”

 In Pine City, Esther and Ruth were up just as early on Saturday morning as if they were going to work, so they could be ready to go at 8:30.  Both of them were looking forward to this excursion.  They dressed in casual pant suits and put on comfortable walking shoes after finishing breakfast, and were ready with five minutes to spare.  The men arrived and they got into the back of Nathan’s car this time.  For their last date, Felix drove.  These were the strangest double dates Ruth and Esther had ever been on in their lives, but it seemed that this was the only way it would work.

 The drive to the butterfly pavilion was mostly silent because it appeared that Nathan liked quiet concentration for his driving responsibility.  Felix already knew this and the ladies followed his lead.  It was actually a relaxing way to travel this time, because conversing from back to front seats would be rather awkward.

 After parking, they walked in a side-by-side line of four, across the parking lot to get to the entrance.  Once inside with their tickets paid for, Nathan commented, “I know this must seem rather unwieldy for you ladies since this isn’t really a double date, with two couples.  But in order for Esther to have equal time with each of us, we thought we could switch partners about half way through.  Will that be all right with the two of you?”

 Esther answered for both of them, “Certainly.  I never thought through the logistics of this kind of dating, so we’ll do what you two think is best.”

 Felix offered his arm to Esther and said, “Shall we?”  He squelched a tease that came to his mind and tried to think of something else to say.

 Nathan and Ruth followed, more like a brother and sister would.  Pretty soon the awkwardness wore off and everyone enjoyed the plants, flowers, and especially the butterflies!  Sometimes one would even come and land on a person, especially if the person was wearing something as colorful as a flower.

 Esther remarked, “The flowers in here are just as beautiful as the butterflies.  Look at all the hibiscus flowers growing in the area over there.”  They walked over to see them better.

 Felix replied, “Yes, I see red ones, an orange one, which is a double, and some pink ones, to mention a few.”

 Ruth agreed, “They’re all so beautiful.  This pink and orange one is a perfect specimen.”  

 Looking down at the base of that plant Esther mentioned, “I like the big heart-shaped leaves growing here with the pink anthurium flowers, which are also in the shape of hearts.  It would make a perfect valentine plant.  Oh!  A zebra butterfly just landed on a glossy leaf.”

 “Wow!” stated Nathan, “The glossy leaf makes a perfect background for this butterfly.”

 Felix saw another one and pointed, “There’s a butterfly with its wings closed and it looks like it has a big eye on the lower portion of its wing.”

 Ruth added, “I think the eye would scare away most predators.”

 Nathan continued, “I agree, and on the leaves next to that one, are three of another kind of butterfly with their wings closed also.”

 Esther concurred, “Yes, and I really like the dark gray upper wings with white wavy lines on them, and the orange lower wings with the broad black stripe and black spots.”

 Felix added, “I can see on the body of one of them, the upper wing stripes continue onto its body.”

 Next they saw two pretty pink flowers and a small blue butterfly landed on one of them to drink nectar.  

 Then Ruth remarked, “I like these leaves with the peach and yellow splotches in the middle.”

 “I like them also,” added Esther with a giggle.  “They look like a bunch of kindergarten children had fun painting them.”  The others laughed.

 Felix stated, “The ones over there must have been designed by a geometry class then.”  More laughter followed.

 Next they saw some pretty yellow flowers and Nathan remarked, “They need some hummingbirds in here to get the nectar out of this kind of flower.”

 Ruth responded, “That’s true, this flower would be perfect for hummingbirds.”

 Just then a hawk moth flew to one of the flowers and hovered there like a hummingbird would.  Its long proboscis or mouth tube came out and went deeply into the elongated flower.  The four young people were delighted as they watched.

 Later, about half way through the pavilion, Esther exclaimed, “I’m amazed at all the variety, color, and beauty of God’s wonderful creation!  How could anyone really look at all God has made and then give evolution the credit instead?”

 “I agree,” stated Felix.  “I actually used to accept what we were taught in the public school, but after I became a believer and read the first chapters of the book of Genesis, I changed my mind. The things I studied about agriculture at the university also helped me worship the Almighty Creator instead of believing what evolutionists say.”

 Nathan added, “Yes, just look at the intricacies of this flower for instance, or that black butterfly with red-orange bursts of color on his wings that are rimmed with white.  They were obviously designed by an all wise designer who knew how to make everything work the very first time and then reproduce themselves in order to do it over and over.  Otherwise they would have become extinct immediately.”

 “I’m glad we all agree it could NOT have happened just by chance!” Ruth declared.  “The display we saw about the life cycle of a butterfly was another good proof of creation.”

 Nathan moved to take the place of Felix beside Esther and they continued their tour.  She asked him, “Which flower color do you enjoy the most?”

 “Definitely red, because I’ve been thinking how nice any of these red flowers would look with your shiny black hair,” he answered warmly.

 “Thank you, Nathan.  That was a nice compliment,” Esther responded, refusing to let herself blush.  Instead she looked at him and smiled.

 In his mind he thought, “There are more compliments for you, Esther, and as soon as I find appropriate places and times, I’ll say them to you.  I won’t be silent any longer, instead I’ll tell you how much I admire you.”  Then out loud he asked, “What’s your favorite flower color?”

 Esther answered, “I think that sometimes it depends on how I’m feeling.  Yellow is for sunny days.  On cloudy days I appreciate flamboyant red to cheer me up, but mostly I like all of the colors, shapes, sizes and smells, because there’s so much variety.  When I go grocery shopping I always stop and look at the floral section first and it helps the rest of the shopping go better.  But I never buy any flowers or flowering plants, because I don’t like to take care of them after I get home.  I just enjoy them in the store.”

 He responded, “Thank you for telling me.  I enjoy learning things about you because you are a very interesting person. …  Oh, look at that pretty yellow tiger swallowtail butterfly!  It’s one of my favorite kinds.”

 Soon Ruth mentioned, “I don’t know the name of this pink tropical flower, but it’s very pretty.”

 Esther looked and said, “I like it too.  The gray butterfly near it has a quiet beauty with scalloped wings and wavy lines that continue the pattern.  And it has black and orange spots circled with white and then more wavy lines.”

 Felix mentioned, “He looked pretty drab to me until you described him in detail.”

 Nathan added, “I’ve always liked to listen to the way you express yourself so eloquently, Esther.”

 “Thank you, Nathan.”  She smiled and he nodded.  Then they all continued looking.  Later he suggested, “Let’s see how many of these butterflies, listed with their photographs in this pamphlet, we can find as we continue on our way.”

 “I’d enjoy doing that,” she replied.  Felix and Ruth also agreed and both “couples” were able to find most of the ones pictured in the pamphlet.  

 Afterward Felix inquired, “Esther, is there something here in the gift shop you would enjoy as a souvenir from this very interesting place?  It’ll be from Nathan and me.”

 “Oh, my!  Is there enough time for me to look around for a while before I make a final decision?” she asked.

 “Sure, take your time,” answered Nathan.  “One thing I like about the restaurant where we’re going, is that no reservations are needed.  We’ll look around too, while you’re deciding.”

 Esther prayed silently as she looked at everything.  “Please, Jesus, help me find just the right thing that doesn’t cost too much.”  She was vacillating between a book with many beautiful photographs and interesting information about the butterflies and flowers or a poster with fewer photographs and less information.  The book cost a little more, but she knew she’d like it better, so she chose it and showed Felix and Nathan.

 “Perfect!” they said, and went to pay for it.

 When they handed it to her she said, “Thank you Felix and Nathan.  I’ll really treasure and enjoy this book a lot.  The time inside the pavilion was wonderful, and this book will help me take the memories with me and enjoy them again and again.”  Each one told her in his own way that she was welcome.  It gave them much pleasure to buy something for her.

 They walked again in a horizontal line on the way back to the car with Esther between the two men.  Once when Esther tripped on a stone that should not have been there, both men reached to steady her and keep her from falling.  She blushed and thanked them.  The men opened the back car doors for the ladies and made sure they were seated before closing the doors.  It was very nice to be treated like ladies by the gentlemen.

 The restaurant was next, and they all enjoyed choosing their favorite foods from the buffet.  The ladies chose mostly salads, vegetables and skinless chicken or, unbreaded, baked fish.  That way they were even able to go back for seconds and dessert without eating too many calories.  Both men were big eaters and Esther took mental notes on their favorite foods.  This was another good way to get to know them better.

 “I like this restaurant,” Esther remarked.  “The food is fresh and tastily prepared.  It’s nice to be able to look at, and choose my favorite things without having to study a menu.”

  Nathan replied, “I agree.  They have it nicely laid out and the food is easy to reach with the tongs or spoons.  Let’s all go back for seconds and then desserts.”  He emphasized the ‘s’ on desserts.

 As they were eating their seconds, Felix told a funny story about the experiences of some make-believe animals.  They went out to eat at an expensive, high society restaurant.  Ruth and Esther had to quit eating or else choke on their food while trying to laugh quietly.

 Nathan joined the laughter and said at the end, “That was a fun story, Felix.  I enjoy your good sense of humor.”

 Esther added, “You did an excellent job of telling the story.  I could almost imagine myself there watching their antics.”

 Felix smiled and inclined his head humbly to accept their compliments.  It felt good to be able to make people laugh without teasing and being a nuisance.

 Next, the men got three or four small helpings of different kinds of desserts and Felix commented at the table, “Now I know how you ladies keep such nice figures.  You ate mostly vegetables and small helpings of lean meat at lunch, and got only very small helpings of two different kinds of desserts.  I commend you.”

 Ruth responded, “Thank you, Felix.  Both of you men have physically active jobs that require more calories than Esther and I need with our sit down jobs.  So you get to eat more than we do.  It was all delicious.”

 Esther agreed and used this opportunity to say, “Yes, I enjoyed the food and the conversation immensely.  Thank you, Nathan and Felix, for the fun dates and good food we’ve had on these dates.  But I am worried about the amount of money you both are having to spend on these double dates.”

 Both of them assured her that it was not a problem for them.

 Esther thanked them and continued, “A book I read suggests discussing important issues early on in the dating process, so the couples can find out if they’d be compatible before they get too emotionally involved to be able to think straight.  That part would only work for me in this situation, since you both have already told me of your feelings for me.  But I do believe it would be helpful for me.  So I think it might be a good idea if you men and I would write what our thoughts are on the most important issues and let each other read them.  What do you think?”

 Nathan responded, “I think it’s a brilliant idea, and I agree with the book.  We’ll do anything we can, to help you in your decision making, won’t we, Felix.”

 “Of course!” he answered and squelched another tease.

 “Thank you both for understanding.  I brought with me three copies of some issues.  Please read through them and we can discuss whether to add more issues or subtract any of these,” explained Esther handing a list to each of them.

 Each man added an issue and Esther deleted one of the others that was really just a duplicate of another one.

 Esther said, “I suggest that at home we write what I’ll call our individual thesis or dissertation on each of these important issues and bring them to our next date.  For that date, you two can figure out something fun and active, we could do outside or some other place for a while and then we could go into the shopping mall since there are places in the mall to sit in conversation groupings.  If I make two copies of mine, and you make one apiece, we can all read them at the same time and then discuss them. I might need more time to read, since I’ll be reading two dissertations.”

 Felix questioned, “Do you think you’ll have yours written up by next Saturday?”

 “Yes, I think so.  Will you and Nathan be ready by then?” Esther inquired.

 Nathan and Felix nodded, but Ruth remarked, “It sounds like a homework assignment to me, so I’m glad I don’t have to join in this part of the next date!”  Everyone laughed and it helped to lighten up this serious discussion before the drive back to Pine City.

 Jeff and Karen Spencer were visiting with Ted and Julie at the Blake’s apartment after enjoying a nice meal together on Sunday evening.  “How’s your small group going, Ted?” Jeff asked.

 “Very well, because you and Karen did such a good job of training Julie and me how to be facilitators at the end of last year.  We told our members that this is our first year as facilitators and they’re really patient and helpful if we forget something,” Ted responded.

 Julie added, “The people stay and mingle after refreshments, and we’re all getting to know each other pretty well.  It’s good for us to be making new friends, but I’ll have to admit that I miss our Saturday small group from last year.  It’ll always have a special place in my memories because it was the first small group we had ever been in.  We learned so much and made many good friends.”

 Karen mentioned, “It was a very special group, and we treasure our memories also.  Our new group is off to a good start too.  This year all the small groups are smaller since the new church building opened this month and all the congregations are smaller because many people volunteered to go be in the new churches so all of us can keep growing like we did last year.”

 Jeff continued, “It’s a good plan.  It’ll just take us a little while to get used to the smaller sizes.  Once the small groups start with their two by two ministries again, I think God will begin to add more people to his church like he does in his time and way.”

 “You’re right, Honey,” agreed Karen, and then she asked, “I know we have year round schools in Pine City, so how’s your new class of third graders, Julie?”

 “They’re precious, and I already love them.  I think it must be a little bit like a mother with a new baby.  I worried about being able to love them as much as the class the year before, but I learned that love doesn’t divide or subtract.  Instead, it multiplies.  I have delightful memories of my last class and the other two classes from the public school.  Each year another class will be added to that, and my love will multiply to reach all of them,” explained Julie.

 Karen responded, “I'm sure you must be right.  Neither of us have ever been mothers, and I haven't been a school teacher, but I know it worked that way for me with the small groups of children I used to teach in Sunday school.  Is your class smaller this year because of the new school they just opened?”  

 Julie answered, “Yes, I only have 16 compared to 25 last year.  I’m sure you remember Roy and Sherry telling us about Cory.  He’s the boy who wasn’t able to walk because his legs had been paralyzed since birth. But God miraculously healed him through their two by two ministry last summer.  Cory and his best friend are in my class this year.  They are a blessing.  I was a little worried that they might be too interested in visiting instead of learning, but they’re both so well behaved that they’re good examples for the rest of my class.”

 “I’m glad for you!” exclaimed Karen.  “They’re being a help to you instead of a hindrance.”

 “Yes, it’s delightful.” Julie continued, “There are also a couple girls from his class the year before, so four of my students haven’t had the benefit of the other three years in the church school.  The other 12 students are helping them to learn some of the things they haven’t learned yet.  I’m still amazed at the way God worked everything out so I could get a job teaching in the Grace ‘n’ Faith Church School, just a few weeks after we moved to Pine City.  I am extremely thankful.”

 Jeff remarked, “Yes, God is good and his ways are amazing.”

 Thursday evening Esther finally finished her dissertation about all the issues on the list.  “You’re right, Ruth, it was just like a homework assignment.  I’ve read and reread and proofread and made corrections and changes until I’m tired of it.  But here are three copies, one for each of the men and one for me.”

 “Good job, Esther, now you’re ready for our date on Saturday.  How do you feel about a cold hike up to the top of that hill south of town?  As for me, I’m hoping it’ll snow so much that it’ll be too slick to go.”

 “Those are my feelings exactly, Ruth.  You and I used to go outside with Dad every time it snowed, and do something we really enjoyed, but anymore I’d rather stay inside where it’s warm.”

 Friday evening at supper, Julie described, “We had a fun sharing time with my koala puppet, Kippy, today.  Then during the prayer time, Cory expressed his praise and thanks to Jesus for healing his legs so he can run now.  He said he was thinking about the song ‘Why Complain’ where it mentions that so many cannot run, and he was glad he no longer was in that group of people.  He’s a very deep thinker.  I really enjoy having him in my class this year.”

 Ted responded, “I’m glad for you, my dear Jewel, and I feel happy that I get to hear about your class and the things they do and say.  Thank you again, Jesus, for giving that teaching job to Julie last year.  You’ve provided so well for both of us.”

 “Yes, I thank you again also, and for my wonderful husband and his job and the way he listens to, and understands me.”  Then she asked, “How is your job going, my treasure?”

 “It’s going well and it’s a good job, but sometimes I feel like I’d like to do more with my life than just fix damaged vehicles.  When I was going to the trade school, I studied doing that, plus being a handyman who can fix many of the problems people might have in their homes.  It has been wonderful to be able to use that knowledge in our homes.  Let’s pray about whether God might have a change in jobs for me in the future.”

 So Julie prayed right then.  “Father in heaven, you’ve supplied our needs so well for us in our lives together and in our searches for your will.  Please guide again in this situation so we won’t miss the next step in our adventure with you.”

 Ted continued, “I’m thankful for the job you gave me here and I’ll continue to be content with it, if this is where you want me to stay.  But if you have given me this desire to work at something that might be more useful to you in your Kingdom, then I definitely will be glad to change, if I know for sure it’s your will.  We ask these things in Jesus precious name.  Amen.”

 Later Julie questioned, “Is there something else you might like to learn along with the Spanish you’re studying?”

 “As a matter of fact,” he replied, “I have been thinking about learning how to play the guitar.  It would be a nice way we could sing together when I get good enough.”

 Julie exclaimed, “I like your idea!  Do you know of anyone who’s giving lessons?”

 “Yes,” Ted responded, “one of the members of the music team who plays the guitar announced last Thursday that he’d be willing to teach any of us how to play.”

 Next she asked, “Do you think you’d like to take lessons from him?”

 “I don’t know him very well,” answered Ted, “but since he’s a dedicated member of the music team, I’d be willing to try.”

 Julie suggested, “Then go for it my dearest.  I’m all for it, one hundred percent!”

 He exclaimed, “Thank you, Jewel, I’ll do it!”  Hugs and kisses…

 Saturday morning dawned cold and sunny and there had been no snow overnight or the two days before.  So, the four “double daters” hiked up the hill, talking and laughing all the way.  The ladies had to admit, “The view was worth the effort and the cold.”  Plus the guys made the excursion a whole lot of fun.

 They all warmed up when they got to the inside shopping mall where the men bought Ruth and Esther hot cinnamon apple cider.  They were able to stay at that table to read and discuss issues.  Ruth had brought a book of her own choosing to read.

 One of the issues they discussed was about two by two and four by four ministries.  Felix and Nathan understood how the ministries work and had been involved in them already. The three of them agreed they were very important ministries to carry out every week and were a good way to spread the gospel.

 Esther suggested, “Since the three of us are singles, I think it would be best to get one more member to join our team.  My best friend Sunny Sanchez is also in our small group and I know she’d like to partner with me and two others.  Do you think it would work to have her join us in a four by four group?”

 Nathan replied, “I think so.  Does she know that we three are dating?”  Felix covered a cough to keep from teasing.

 “No, I haven’t told her, but I think she’ll need to be informed about your project and have Ruth tell her how to act as the fourth member of the group.  I’m hoping Sunny will agree to do it.”

 Felix added, “I hope so too.  It’ll give us another opportunity to be together each week, and you can observe how we act in other situations besides dates.”

 Nathan exclaimed, “What good thinking, Felix!  I had been trying to figure out a way we could spend more time together.”

 For the rest of the issues, Nathan and Felix wrote almost identical dissertations except for personal ways of saying things.  They explained the reason this happened was because they’ve been friends and roommates for so long and had gone to the same church and small groups for many years.  They both agreed with everything Esther said in her dissertation.  

 Now Esther could be completely frustrated with trying to choose between them.  But she decided to continue enjoying the whole adventure while she trusted Jesus to help her make the right decision about whether marriage was his will, and if it was, to choose the better one of the two men, or maybe somebody else.

 That evening, Esther called and invited Sunny Sanchez to lunch the next day at their apartment.  “Then we can all go to church together after lunch and visiting.  Would you bring a salad with some of your favorite vegetables?  We already have plenty of choices of dressing.”

 On Sunday, Sunny arrived with a beautiful tossed salad made with several types of green leafy vegetables and colorful grated carrots, radishes, and red cabbage.

 Ruth exclaimed, “This is a beautiful salad!  You’re an artist using the creator’s vegetables to produce a masterpiece.  I’m going to take a picture before we eat it.  Stand right there, … that’s right.  Smile for the camera.”  Click.  She looked at the viewer and said, “Perfect.”  

 Sunny laughed and responded, “Thank you.  I do enjoy seeing all those beautiful colors together.”

 Esther observed, “I thought that since you work in the produce section of the Local Grocery, you’d know just the right combination of vegetables to put in a salad for us today, and I was right.  It is a splendid salad and I know it’ll be delicious.”

 “Thank you,” responded Sunny.  “I enjoy working there because every day I get to see some of God’s handiwork.  I’ve been researching on the web about how the farmers grow these vegetables and the fruit we sell.  It’s an amazing amount of work for them, especially for organic farmers.  But I’m glad they’re willing to do it.”

 “Same here, I enjoy eating them without having to do all that work.  So, let’s go eat,” suggested Ruth as she led the way to the table.

 After lunch and cleanup, they went into the living room to visit.  Esther began, “I asked you to come today for two reasons. First, we don’t get to spend enough time together and second, I want to tell you about some things that have been happening lately in my life.”

 Sunny stated, “Well, I’m very glad we could get together today. I have missed getting to visit with you.  What’s going on for you?”

 Esther gave a summary of the last three weeks and Sunny looked astonished.  “I know you always tell the truth, but this story is just about unbelievable.  I remember you telling me about two teenage boys you met at the dude ranch while we were in high school, but I had forgotten their names.  That was a LONG time ago.  I saw those two new men go talk to you after the first meeting but not since then, so I didn’t think anything about it.  Are you sure you can trust them to not be crooks of some kind?”

 Esther answered, “Ruth and I did worry about that at first, but we found out on our first date, that they became believers on the same day my family and I did.  They were at the same evangelistic meeting as we were, but they, and we didn’t know the others were there.  There’s no way they could have made that up.  We’ve had several exceptionally good discussions about many things and yes, I think we can trust them.  Plus, they’re real gentlemen.”

 Sunny just sat there with her hand over her mouth, too bewildered to say anything else about what she had heard so far.

  So Esther continued, “I wanted you to know that they want me to date both of them at the same time and their goal is for me to choose the one I think would be the better husband for me.  I know it’ll be awkward for you to be in this group, but there’s no other person I would ask.  Besides, as my best friend, I thought you’d be the only one who could understand this strange situation and be able to do as Ruth has been doing on the dates we’ve had with them.  I know it’s an unheard of occurrence, but …”  

 “All right, I believe you, and I know I can trust you, so Ruth, please tell me everything I need to know, so our four by four ministry group can work.”  Ruth told her, and Sunny felt much better.  “That won’t be so hard.  I think I can do it.”

 Esther was relieved.  “Thank you so much, Sunny, I really appreciate you.  You’re going to help me continue to give the men a chance to complete their project.  The men and I are keeping the fact that we’re dating confidential, and I know you will also.  We just don’t want to get people in the group talking and speculating.”

 “Of course.  I understand, and I won’t say anything about it to anyone.  Do the men know you’re telling me all these things?” questioned Sunny.

 “Yes, I told them you’re my best friend and you need to be informed about the whole situation.”

 Sunny responded, “Wow!  I’m sure glad you told me about this before small group tomorrow when we ‘choose’ partners, and a time to go on our first four by four ministry time with them.  Have they ever done this type of ministry?”

 Ruth answered this time, “Yes.  They had been going to a church very much like ours in their city before they moved here, and their small groups did this kind of ministry there also.”

 Sunny said. “As I think about all you’ve told me, I can see things that couldn’t be coincidences, so I’ll trust the promise in Romans 8:28, we know that all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to his purpose.”

 Esther responded, “I agree, and I’m immensely glad we can be in unity about their project and about working together in the new four by four group with Nathan and Felix.  Now that we have all that settled, please tell us about what has been going on in your life since the last time we visited.”

 Sunny took a deep breath, visibly relaxed, and smiled her usual happy smile.  “I’m happy to tell you that my life hasn’t changed at all since then and I’m extremely grateful to not have an unbelievable story to share with you!  Of course, I’d be happy to tell you that my knight in shining armor came on his beautiful horse to carry me away with him to his castle to live happily ever after.”

 After laughing along with Ruth about her friend’s fun sense of humor, Esther asked, “So what you’re saying is that you’re no closer to an answer about singleness and marriage than the last time we talked?  I guess you can tell from what I’ve said so far, that I really don’t have a clear answer either.”

  “You’re right,” Sunny replied, “and yes, I can tell about you, but I also understand that you have two knights who declared their love for you, but they’re such noble fellows that they agreed to not fight over you, but let you choose the one you think is better.”

  Esther laughed and explained, “Yeah, that’s the hardest part of their whole project for me to accept.  I don’t want to hurt either of them by choosing one or maybe neither of them, depending on how Jesus leads me.  Jesus must have some reason of his own, or a lesson for me or for them to learn in this whole process.  I assume that it’s too soon for any of us to know what it might be,”

  “It’s all part of the adventure!”  Sunny declared, with her own special, playful, fun expression.  They all laughed together, and it was a fun way to end the visit and then go to church as a group of good friends to worship and learn more about God.

 Monday’s small group was a review for most of the people about how to do two by two ministries.  One couple who was new to the church was given a booklet called, “I Can Do,” with more in depth teaching so they could read it and then get together with an experienced couple who’d show them how, and answer any questions they had.  Theirs would be called a four by four group.

 During the fellowship time following the meeting, the other group members chose their partners if they weren’t already a married couple since they’d already be a two by two team.  Esther and Sunny talked with Felix and Nathan so they could decide on a time and place to meet for their first time of ministry.

 Felix said, “Sunny and Esther, we’re extremely glad that you both will be partners with us in this four by four group.”

 Sunny replied, “Thank you.  From what I understand, we’ll have the privilege of being two pairs of best friends working together for the best friend of all of us, Jesus.

 They all smiled with appreciation and Nathan added,  “Yes, that’ll definitely be a benefit to our group.”

 Esther noted, “We all have 8 to 5 week day jobs.  What would be the most practical time for us to meet for our first ministry time?”

 The men shrugged and Felix observed, “I think women are best at planning times like this.  What’s your preference?”

 Sunny smiled and said, “Esther and I will talk it over and get back to you.  What places and activities do you think will work best for our group, Nathan and Felix?”

 Nathan answered, “In the past, when we’ve had a mixed four by four group, instead of three or four men, we’ve gone shopping in grocery stores, shopping malls, etc. to get things we need to buy, and be alert to the others around us to see in what manner Jesus would have us minister to them.  When the weather warms up, we could take walks in our neighborhoods and pray and observe the people to see if anyone needs help with anything, always listening to Jesus Spirit in us to do whatever he tells us.”

 Felix added, “Another time we found an older couple who needed help with some painting inside their home and the four of us made short work of it.  We had a chance to explain why we’d work for free.  Plus there are all the ideas in the ‘I Can Do’ booklet we got from Pastor Don last month.”

 Esther mentioned, “Those are good ideas.  I know that Sunny shops for her groceries once or twice a week at the end of her work time just before going home, so since the rest of us can’t get to the Local Grocery by 5 PM, grocery shopping won’t work for our group.  She and I do enjoy going to the shopping mall after supper sometimes.  Would it work for the four of us to meet there at 7 PM this Thursday for our first ministry time and see how it goes?  By then Sunny and I should have a chance to talk more about our time preferences.”

 The other three nodded and agreed to that idea.  Then Nathan offered, “We’d like to pick both of you up at your homes and then drop you off when we finish so you don’t have to drive and park there alone.  It would be much safer for you and our car will be warm when we come to pick you up.”  

 Felix was nodding his agreement, so Sunny and Esther thanked them and accepted.  Sunny gave Nathan a card that had her address and phone number on it and they all went home.

 Oscar mentioned at supper Wednesday at the ranch, “Vera, I wonder how Walt’s coming along with his floor plans and the estimate for our ranch.  I know it’s way too early for him to know anything, but sometimes I have a hard time waiting patiently.  Once we’ve made a decision I tend to want to have it finished yesterday!”

 “I understand, Honey, because I’m very much the same way.  Maybe we both need another lesson in patience.  What could we do while we’re waiting?” Vera asked.

 “Well,” Oscar suggested, “If it’s warm enough tomorrow afternoon, I’d like us to go for a horseback ride with Nathan and ascertain if he still likes horses as much as he used to.”

 Vera smiled and replied, “I’d really like to go for a ride outside if it’s not too cold, because it’s so much more fun than in the inside riding ring.  Could we ask our guests if they’d like to join us?  We’ve been riding several times inside, but I think they’d enjoy the change as much as my horse and I would.”

 “Sure, my love, I like that idea also.”  Then Oscar asked, “How’s your horse doing now?  Was our vet, Unice Logan, able to take care of the limp you mentioned last week?  I forgot to ask you earlier.”

 She answered, “Yes, it was just a little rock that had gotten stuck in a place I didn’t notice when I cleaned her feet before our ride that day.  I had taken her right over to Unice, and she was able to fix it right then, so I could go back and ride without having to worry.  I wondered when we hired her if she was too young to be able to be a veterinarian and a family nurse practitioner both, which is what we need here.  She explained to me how she was able to finish high school and graduate early from the university, and spend that extra time getting both certifications by the time she was 32.  I’m glad she wants to stay single and live and work here at the ranch full-time.”

 He nodded. “Yes, and it reminds me of something else we can do while we wait for Walt’s estimate.  We can call and make an appointment with Unice to tell her about our idea and plans, and ask her if she’ll agree to stay here as our horse vet and family nurse practitioner for the new Mercy Valley Ranch.  We’ll definitely still need all her expertise and services just as much then as we do now!”

 “You’re right!” Vera agreed.  “Plus we also need to make an appointment with our lawyer to make changes in our wills, and set up the paperwork for a living trust for the ranch and for what will be left of our investments after all the new building and remodeling is finished.  The money needs to be reinvested to earn as much as possible to be able to keep the new ranch running after we go home to live in heaven.  It’s a good feeling to know we’ll leave something that will continue to be used in the restoration of lives for God’s glory.”

 Oscar stated, “Yes, it will definitely be something we can rejoice about while we live here and when we get home to heaven.  We’ll also need to be looking for a couple who will continue to supervise the work when we’re no longer able to do it.  We should include arrangements for us to continue to live and be cared for here in this home until the Lord calls us home to be with him.  So I think we’ll have plenty to keep us busy until and after Walt is able to tell us his estimate!”

 Thursday evening in Pine City, Ruth smiled at Esther as she was getting ready to go with the group to the shopping mall.  Then she said, “I’m sorry you have to go out on this cold evening, but I’m also truly relieved that I get to stay home this time.  It was considerate of Felix and Nathan to offer to come pick both of you up.  I’m really impressed by the way they’re doing things.”

 “So am I, and I’m getting so I like them more and more as I learn more good qualities about them,” admitted Esther.

 Just then the intercom sounded and Esther told Nathan she’d be right down.  He made sure she was seated before closing the back door and getting in the front.  Then they went to pick up Sunny, and all the actions were repeated.

 Before starting to drive, Felix turned to face the back seat and suggested, “When we get inside the mall this evening, let’s pair up in a normal way with us two men in front, and you can follow at a little distance while you shop and we all pray for God’s leading. If nothing happens after half an hour we’ll switch places.”

 Nathan added, “While you or we are following, if anything happens to alarm you or you need our help or for any reason, just call my name and we’ll come quickly.  I have excellent hearing, so I’ll hear you easily.  Remember, we’re in a group to help keep you ladies safe while all of us are also alert to ministry opportunities.”

 “Thank you Felix and Nathan for the information and the helpful instructions.  It’s a good idea to have plans,” Esther responded.

 They walked from the car to the mall in a horizontal line with Esther between the two men and Sunny on one end.  That way either lady could be helped if she needed it.

 Once inside, they paired off as suggested and followed at a close enough distance that with Esther's good hearing she could tell they were praying as they walked and shopped, although it just looked like they were visiting.

 In about ten minutes, the men stopped short and therefore the ladies did also.  They were quietly observing a father who started saying mean things to his boy and girl.  When that didn’t get the action he asked for he began to grab, slap, push and shove them in the direction he wanted them to go.

 Nathan and Felix disappeared into the men’s section of clothes and Sunny and Esther melted into the women’s section on the other side of the isle.  They saw Nathan pull out his cell phone and make a quick call to the mall authorities.  Two officers came immediately and the woman took the children with her in spite of the objections of their father who was silenced by the male officer and was led away in the other direction.

 The four by four group met back in the isle and left the store to find a place to sit so they could pray together for that family and then talk about what to do next.

 Nathan started, “Father, you knew what was going to happen in that store and graciously put us there at just the right time to stop the violence before it got completely out of hand.”

 Esther continued, “Yes, thank you for giving the men good observational skills and quick reactions to make the phone call.”

 Sunny added, “Thank you for cell phones and for authorities who were fast in responding.  Please comfort the children and heal their physical and emotional wounds.”

 Felix concluded, “Thank you for using us to help the children. Please help their father want to be saved, and help him control his temper so he can be a good dad.  Until then, please put those children into a good foster home.  We pray in Jesus name.  Amen.”

 Nathan saw that Felix was still upset, so he put a hand on his shoulder to reassure him and prayed silently for him.  Soon Felix relaxed and said, “I think this would be a good time to tell you ladies about my background.  It was like watching a rerun of my life in that store just a few minutes ago.  My big sister and I were often treated like that until I was about six years old.  Some nice people reported it to the authorities and we were removed from that house.  We went to live in a foster home with the Mendoza family.  They were outstanding parents for us and I’ve had a lasting friendship with Nathan from the start.  I’m still praying for my biological dad, and I thank God for saving my mother.”

 The ladies were sitting in shocked silence for a few moments and then Esther responded, “Felix, thank you for telling us about your background.  Father in heaven, thank you for getting Felix and his sister out of that horrible situation and into a foster home that took good care of them.”

 Nathan added, “Please comfort Felix and erase those bad memories that resurfaced this evening.  Use this event to bring more healing in his life and help us to know whatever you have for us to do for other hurting children in our world.”

 Sunny continued, “Yes, please help the children through us and your other servants to rescue them so they don’t have to continue living in abusive situations.”

 “I agree with all those prayers and thank you for the healing you’ve done and will continue to do in my life,” concluded Felix.

 Esther suggested, “If it’s satisfactory with the rest of you, I’d like for us to just walk around out here in the mall for a short time to get some exercise and relieve some of our tension.”

 “Thank you for that good idea.”  Nathan stood up and nudged Felix to walk with him.  The ladies led the way and talked as they walked back and forth rapidly.  Soon they were more relaxed and were breathing more evenly.  They went back to sit for a while.

 Sunny said, “Esther and I discussed what time we’d prefer.  Instead of evening times, how would it work to do our ministry times on Saturdays between lunch and supper?  We could meet here at the mall at 2:30 PM and still be home to fix our suppers.”

 Felix replied, “It’s a good idea, especially for the winter, since it’s always colder in the evenings.  We can try it next week.”

 “I agree, but we’ll still come pick you up at your homes so we can know that you’re warm and safe,” Nathan added.

 Esther smiled and responded, “All right.  Thank you for the way you take care of us.  Shall we go back into the store now or would you rather go home?”

 Felix replied, “Thank you for asking, Esther.  I really would rather go home now.”

 “That’ll be fine with us,” said Sunny.  Nathan nodded and they left the mall.  Felix drove everyone home.

 Esther told Ruth about the evening and all that had been said and done, and wrote about it in her journal before going to bed.

 The next morning before leaving for work, Felix made a phone call.  “Hi, Esther and Ruth, this is Felix and Nathan, and we were wondering if you’d enjoy going bowling tomorrow afternoon at 2:30 PM, and we’ll be sure you’re back home in time to fix your own supper.”

 Nathan added, “Feel free to say you’d rather not, if you don’t like a suggestion we make.”

 Esther responded, “Thank you for saying that.  We both do enjoy bowling but we aren’t very good at it.”

 Felix remarked, “Neither are we, but it is fun.  We don’t even have to keep score so it won’t be so obvious how bad we are.”

 She laughed and accepted their invitation.  Then she added, “Have a good day at work, both of you gentlemen.”

 Nathan replied, “We wish the same for you ladies.”

 Thursday at the ranch wasn’t warm enough for their horseback ride, but Friday after lunch was just perfect.  Five of their guests decided to join Oscar, Vera, and Nathan on a ride to check the ranch fences and generally just to have fun in the outdoors.  No snow on the ground made it even better because it wouldn’t be slick.  

 Part of the experience was to clean all four of the horse’s feet and brush the horse’s hair so it would lie flat before putting on its saddle and bridle.  Some dude ranches did all those things for the guests, but this one wanted them to develop a bond with, and learn proper care of the horses they rode.  Nathan was right there to help any of them who needed it, after he had his horse ready to be ridden.  Oscar and Vera of course, did what was needed to get their own mounts ready and were also able to help a guest if needed.

 Once on their way, with their required helmets on for safety, Vera exclaimed, “It’s a splendid day for a ride!  The wind isn’t even blowing and the mountains look so majestic.  We’ll be able to see them better on the way back to the tack room.  We don’t bring our cameras on horseback rides because we need to concentrate on riding, and keep our hands on the reins so we can tell the horse what to do.  They aren’t good mind readers.”  Everyone laughed and decided they could take pictures later.

 Vera rode a Kentucky Mountain Saddle Horse.  It was milk chocolate colored with a flaxen mane and tail, and was 14.1 hands high, just right for her small frame.  Its gaits were all very smooth, especially the amble, also known as the single-foot.  It’s a natural four-beat gait in which each hoof is lifted up separately and put back down on the ground.  These horses are remarkably sure-footed and are also gentle and even-tempered.  The ranch has many horses of this breed and one other similar gaited breed, the Tennessee Walking Horse.  It’s famous for its four-beat running walk, which is very much like the single-foot of the Kentucky Mountain Saddle Horse.  The young children among the guests were mounted on small Kentucky Mountain horses, which were only 11 or 12.2 hands high.

 Oscar and Nathan were both riding matching bay Morgans, that were 15.2 hands high and large enough to carry the extra weight of the men.  These horses do not have smooth gaits like the other horses but are wonderful in their own ways.  They are extremely capable, strong, sound, versatile, and have great staying power.  You just have to learn how to post the trot or else you’ll be in for a lot of bounces.

 They started out on the road riding three abreast except for Oscar and Nathan who brought up the rear.  Vera was in the front setting the pace, and she said, “Remember we always start out at a walk for about five minutes to get the horses warmed up just like people need to do when they exercise.”

 One of the guests commented, “Just like we do inside the big building.  I’ll bet we also need to cool them down at the end.”

 Oscar responded, “You’re correct, and it’s even more important when we ride outside in the winter since it’s colder out here than inside the building.”

 Nathan added, “In the summer we also need to cool them down so they don’t stay overheated.  I'm thankful for all the good training Oscar and Vera gave me when I came as a guest to this ranch.  Now I get to work here and use what I learned.  Horseback riding and the care and training of horses are some of my favorite things to do.”

 After five minutes of walking, Vera inquired, “Are you all ready to go a little faster?”  They answered that they were, so everyone gave the horse a little bump with their heels and they went a little faster.  This was a comfortable speed for all the riders who were on gaited horses, because they didn’t bounce up and down.

 One of the kids asked, “Could we have a race?”  

 Oscar told everyone to halt their horses and asked Nathan to answer that question, so Nathan responded, “We do NOT race horses on this ranch for several reasons.  First, even though it might be fun, it’s dangerous, because people and horses don’t concentrate on safety while they’re racing.  Second, since many of these horses are different sizes and breeds, it wouldn’t be a fair race.  Third, it would give the horses and riders bad habits, like wanting to race when it would not be appropriate, or whipping a horse to make it go faster.  Fourth, in a race, only one person and horse can win and we don’t like that type of competition.  This way, everybody who rides wins, because we enjoy being a team with our horse, asking it to do what we desire and rewarding it with strokes and gentle talking.”

 Vera thought, “Very well said!  I couldn’t have done better myself.”  Then she requested, “Oscar and Nathan, would you trot up here without posting so these guests can see how bouncy the trot is?”  The guests were surprised.  Then she said, “Now please show them the difference posting makes.”  This time they were amazed and she explained.  “You noticed that they rose out of the saddle on alternating steps the horse made with its forelegs.  This made the ride smoother and more comfortable for the rider and it’s easier on the horse’s back.  Thank you, Oscar and Nathan, for your demonstrations.”

 Oscar replied, “You’re welcome.  Now these two ‘cowboys’ with western saddles are going to canter up to where the fence needs to be checked and then slowly walk our horses beside the fence to see if it needs any work done on it.  You’ll probably all catch up with us if you come at your horse’s faster single foot gait or canter for a while, and we can all walk our horses the rest of the way back to the tack room so they’ll be cooled off by then.”

 As Vera and the guests followed Oscar’s suggestion they ended up spread out along the road, and they could all see what Nathan meant by saying that racing these horses would not be a fair race.  Besides, it was fun to be a team with your horse and not be in competition with others.

 Later as they were walking their horses again, one of the guests inquired, “What’s the difference between a western saddle and the ones we use, besides what they look like?”

 Vera explained, “The western saddle is larger and heavier.  This helps to spread the weight over more of the horse’s back than our kind.  It’s made with a saddle horn that can be used to wrap a rope around when roping cattle or other horses on some ranches.  It has places to tie on saddle bags and has a comfortable seat for cowboys who need to be riding most of the day.  The kind of saddle we’re using, looks a lot like an English saddle.  It’s made to be good for trail riding and everyday exercising, and it is comfortable for the horse and its rider.  It weighs a lot less than a western saddle, so it’s easier for most riders to put it on the horse.”

 When the riders got back to the tack room, the horses were cooled down like Oscar had said they’d be.  They took off the saddles and saddle blankets, replaced the bridles with a halter, and tied the lead rope to a ring to keep the horse in place.  Then they brushed the whole horse and checked its feet again before leading it over to the pasture, where the horse was stroked and praised some more before its halter was removed and it could be free to roll or graze or go get a drink from the stream.  Next each rider cleaned the tack he or she had used and put it back in its place in the tack room.  They all had the feeling of a job well done and besides, it was a lot of fun!

Chapter 4

Psalm 37:3a,4,5, Trust in the LORD, and do good; …

Delight yourself also in the LORD, and he shall give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the LORD; trust also in him and he shall bring it to pass.

 In Pine City Saturday morning while they were doing housework, Esther questioned, “Do you think it’s too early in this dating process to ask the men to come to our parents home for an evening with a family dinner.  We can ask Jason to come and we’ll all play a board game where we do keep score so I can observe how they treat Jason and our parents and how they win or lose?  But I agree with Felix, that I don’t want to keep score this afternoon as we bowl.”

 Ruth replied, “I think the timing is just right.  Let’s call Dad and Mom and Jason to see if they’d be free this coming Friday evening.  You and I can already be there to help fix dinner.”

 “Good, we can see if they offer and carry through with helping to cleanup after dinner.  We have a board game that all seven of us can play through several times and keep track of our scores so we can get a good idea of their sportsmanship.”

 Their parents and Jason happily agreed with this idea.  

 Then with the housework and lunch finished, Esther and Ruth went and had a fun filled time laughing at themselves every time their balls went in the gutter or cheering for the times they actually hit the pins.  After a time of practicing, they all started to improve.

 During a rest time, Felix mentioned, “Thank you for being so understanding on Thursday evening, Esther.  Nathan and I were able to talk about the situation some more and he gave me some of his great counsel.  I assume you filled Ruth in on what happened when you got home.”

 She replied, “Yes, we had a good debriefing session.”

 He continued, “Then Nathan and I remembered about what you said at the skating place about not being able to give birth.  We thought we could suggest becoming foster parents if we decide we want to have children.”

 Nathan continued, “Yes, this is a topic I’ve been wanting to discuss since Thursday evening.  For several years I’ve noticed how the world and our country have been declining and I decided I didn’t want to bring more children into this kind of world.  So when you told us about your problem I was relieved, although I do sympathize with you about your feelings.  I already know I’d like to have children, but only foster children who’ve been abused.  How do you feel about having foster children, Esther?”

 She responded, “Well, whenever I’ve thought about how I could be a mother, I wondered how adopting might work, but I had serious misgivings about doing it.  Foster children would also be a big responsibility, but I know there are many children who need to be in a foster home with caring parents to help them.  I feel like a married couple would need to be certain that being foster parents is what God wants them to do.”

 They continued bowling some more, and when they started to wind down, Esther invited them to her parents’ house for dinner the coming Friday evening at 6PM.  They accepted.

 When Esther and Ruth got home and were fixing supper later, Ruth observed, “That was an interesting discussion you three had at the bowling alley today.”

 “It definitely was,” responded Esther.  “I think I understood that Felix is not sure about even wanting children but Nathan does, if they are foster children who are being rescued from an abusive situation.”

 Ruth nodded and said, “I understood the same thing.  So how do you really feel about being a foster parent?”

 She replied, “I didn’t really answer Nathan, I think I just rambled on and I don’t even remember what I said.  I’m scared about the big responsibility and have no idea how to help children who’ve been abused.  Nathan studied counseling at the university, and I’m sure he has many ideas and ways to help them.  On the other hand, Felix was abused, and might have his own fears about becoming an abusive parent because his own dad set such a bad example.  I can see this is something I’ll need to pray about a lot before they ask me any more questions.  Jesus, my master, please give me wisdom and show me your will about whether to become a foster parent or not.”