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Branches Of the Heavenly Father’s Love Stories & Tales For Kids and Families By: Michelle Lores

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Branches

Of the Heavenly Father’s

Love

Stories & Tales

For Kids and Families

By: Michelle Lores

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Copyright © 2017 by Michelle Lores

Branches of the Heavenly Father’s Love: Stories and Tales for Kids and Families

By Michelle Lores

“Hop and Babby—Friends for Life”; “A Pigeon Named Pete”; &

“Hubey the Fantastic Bear”

Taken from the book,

Stories and Tales Filled with God’s Love,

Copyright © 2016 by Michelle Lores

“A White Dress and a Clean Water Jar”; & “Do You Want to Know Jesus?”

Taken and adapted from the book,

Auntie Netta’s Letters to Jollee and Ned

Copyright © 2016 by Michelle Lores

All rights reserved solely by the author. The author

guarantees all contents are original and do not infringe upon

the legal rights of any other person or work. No part of this

book may be reproduced in any form without the permission

of the author.

Scripture Quotations taken from the New King James Version (NKJV). Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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Contents:

Chapter 1: Pudge the Sheep

Chapter 2: Hop and Babby—Friends for Life

Chapter 3: Ladybug, Ladybug…

Chapter 4: Hannah May

Chapter 5: A Pigeon Named Pete

Chapter 6: Hubey the Fantastic Bear

Chapter 7: It’s the Simple Things

Chapter 8: A White Dress and a Clean Water

Jar

Chapter 9: Do You Want to Know Jesus?

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Jesus said:

“I am the true vine,

And my Father is the vine-dresser…

“Abide in Me, and I in you.

As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself,

unless it abides in the vine, neither can you,

unless you abide in Me.

“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who

abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit;

for without Me you can do nothing.”

~John 15:1, 4-5~

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1

Pudge the Sheep

Pudge the sheep was sad.

He lived in a meadow full of other happy, playful

sheep.

But none of them wanted to play with Pudge.

“He’s too serious,” one sheep said.

“And he’s just too pudgy to play with,” another

sheep agreed.

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Poor Pudge. He spent his days dreaming of

frolicking and playing and wondering if things would

ever be better.

Pudge did have a favorite pastime, though.

While the other sheep were playing together on

the hillside, he liked to climb up as high as the top of the

hill, lie down and look at the stream below and the sky

above.

He watched beautiful butterflies float by, and he

got lost in his own little world of sweet dew-soaked

grass and high, fleece-covered clouds.

One day, a Shepherd from a neighboring hillside

came to look at the flock of sheep that Pudge was a part

of.

Pudge watched the Shepherd closely, for Pudge

the sheep was very observant.

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Pudge noticed that the Shepherd had the kindest

of eyes and the gentlest of hands. He had a

compassionate heart for the weak and seemed humble

yet firm. Pudge called him the Good Shepherd, and he

loved Him right away.

The Good Shepherd had announced that He had

come for one sheep today.

“Who will He pick?” One sheep asked.

“Oh, I hope it will be me!” Another one said.

Pudge went over in the corner of the sheep pen.

Though he wanted to dream of the Good Shepherd

picking him, he knew it was just too good of a dream to

hope for, so he sat quietly in the corner, lay his head

down, and cried softly.

After all, who would ever choose the pudgy

sheep that no one else wanted to play with?

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Pudge’s eyes were closed when he felt the most

gentle hand reach out and touch his head.

“How much for this little one?” The Good

Shepherd asked.

Pudge could not believe his ears as he looked up

into the kindest eyes he had ever seen.

“What is his name?” The Good Shepherd asked.

“Pudge,” the keeper of the sheep told Him.

“Little one, come home with me. I will give you a

new name, but we will not speak it here. Come—it is

time to go home,” the Good Shepherd said as he

extended His hand and pointed the Way with His staff.

The Good Shepherd led little Pudge into a new

life. Things were still not always easy for him, but

Pudge always had his Shepherd nearby to watch out for

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him, comfort him, and show him the way through every

hard time.

Pudge did things differently now. The Good

Shepherd was leading him into a whole new way of

enjoying and participating in his world. Pudge spent

lots of time with his Good Shepherd, and he acted on

what his Master told him to do. As a result, Pudge’s life

completely changed.

As for Pudge’s name—it is no longer “Pudge”—

for the Good Shepherd lovingly changed it to “Chosen

One.”

“Chosen One” loves the Good Shepherd, who

gave him a new name and a new life. This little sheep,

who was once so lonely, is forever safe in his Master’s

care. He has experienced the light of God’s love through

the Good Shepherd, whose name is Jesus Christ, and

“Chosen One” will never be alone again.

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Jesus said:

“But he who enters by the door is the

shepherd of the sheep.

“To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep

hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by

name and leads them out.

“And when he brings out his own sheep, he

goes before them; and the sheep follow him,

for they know his voice.”

~John 10:2-4~

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2

Hop & Babby—

Friends for Life

“Wake up, Hop! It’s a beautiful spring day

outside! You don’t want to miss a second of it!” Babby

the bunny said to her best friend—Hop, the rabbit.

“Oh, Babby, I just don’t feel like getting up,” Hop

groaned. “Why don’t you go and enjoy it for the both of

us?”

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Babby twitched her little nose and thought for a

second. She was not leaving this burrow without her

best friend—but how could she encourage him to get

up? Hop just wanted to stay here in the dark. Then she

thought of an idea.

“Hop—guess what? I heard from Mother Rabbit

that there is a big fresh patch of sweet clover up by the

overlook of the valley. Wouldn’t you like to go taste

some of that sweet clover? And she told me that there

are plenty of bushes nearby for cover up there. Let’s

go!” Babby said excitedly as she hopped up and down

and pushed on Hop’s side with her two soft white paws.

Babby knew that Hop could not resist fresh

clover—it was his favorite because it was the sweetest

clover there was. She also knew that seeing the

overlook of the valley would definitely lift Hop’s spirits.

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“Okay, okay—I’ll go,” Hop said as he got up

reluctantly and slowly blinked his eyes.

“Come on, Hop! Follow me!” Babby said with

enthusiasm. “I know the way!”

With that, the two friends were off. Along the

way, they sniffed beautiful wildflowers—watched as a

butterfly landed on Hop’s nose—savored the crisp,

fresh spring air—and enjoyed being in one another’s

company. Babby had been right—it was truly a

beautiful spring day!

When they arrived at the patch of clover, they

checked their surroundings for danger, and then

hopped into the clearing to enjoy a filling meal of the

sweetest clover still drenched in dew.

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While Hop was still nibbling clover tops, Babby

hopped over to the overlook of the valley and called to

Hop, “Hop come here! I want you to see something!”

“Can it wait? This clover is just so tasty!” Hop

said with his mouth full as he continued to focus on the

patch of sweet clover that he was eating.

Babby giggled with a paw to her dainty little

mouth. “Oh, Hop! The clover isn’t going anywhere.

Come here for a second, and then you can finish your

meal.”

“Oh, okay. I’m coming.” Hop said as he took one

last bite to chew on.

“What did you want to show me, Babby?” Hop

asked as he arrived at the spot where Babby sat.

“Look!” Babby said as she pointed her paw at the

view of the valley.

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Hop turned and looked in the direction that

Babby was pointing her paw. What he saw took his

breath away. Everything down there looked so small

and peaceful. Hop lived in that valley, and he knew that

a lot happened there that could be scary, sad, and hard

to deal with—but from up here, he could see a bigger

picture. Things were not as big and scary. Somehow, he

knew that things weren’t that bad after all.

Hop was beginning to see that just like this valley

looked small to him from up here, all of the problems

that he faced were very small compared to God. God

could handle all of them.

Hop realized that the next time he faced

something hard, he could remember that no matter how

big the problem was, God was always bigger. A sense of

relief and peace washed over Hop as he became very

calm inside and full of awe for God, his Creator.

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After several moments of silence, Hop turned to

Babby and said, “Babby, you are a wonderful friend.

You didn’t let me stay hidden in my burrow all day. You

brought me to a wonderful feast for my stomach, and

you brought me to this beautiful overlook where God

reminded me of how great He is. Thank you for being

such a great friend!”

“Hop, you are my best friend, and that won’t ever

change. We’re friends for life, right?” Babby said with a

twitch of her nose and a sweet bunny smile.

“Right,” Hop said. “Friends for life.”

And with that, Babby put her paw on Hop’s back

as they both faced out toward the valley, each with their

hearts full of wonder at the greatness of God, their

Creator.

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3

Ladybug, Ladybug…

Ladybug, Ladybug…

Where are you going?

Don’t you know there’s a big world out there

Waiting for your exploring?

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Ladybug, Ladybug…

Don’t hide away!

God made you to show your spots

So come out and enjoy the day!

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4

Hannah May

Hannah May was going to get her hair done for

the first time today, and she was getting her nails done,

too!

Her Aunt Elizabeth was taking her to the salon,

and they were going to enjoy the treat together. Aunt

Elizabeth didn’t usually do this sort of thing for herself,

but Hannah May really wanted to get her hair and nails

done. Hannah May just thought it would be so special to

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be pampered for a day as a change from her normal,

everyday routine.

Hannah May loved having one-on-one girl time

with her aunt. She was really looking forward to this

day! After the salon, Aunt Elizabeth had even promised

to take them out to get frozen yogurt with as many

toppings as Hannah May wanted. It was sure to be a

super fun day!

Hannah May had her hair curled and set. She

also had her nails done in a pale pink color with white

stars painted on them.

Aunt Elizabeth let Hannah May pick out her hair

style and nail color. Hannah May picked a French braid

style with loose tendrils of hair hanging around her

aunt’s face and little white flowers gracefully accenting

Aunt Elizabeth’s thick blonde hair. For her aunt’s nail

polish, she picked a purple color with bright red tips.

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Afterwards, as promised, they went to Sam’s

Frozen Yogurt Place, and Hannah May chose all of her

favorite flavors and toppings.

The whole time they were together, Aunt

Elizabeth talked with and listened to Hannah May. She

asked questions and showed how much she sincerely

cared about her niece and who she was as a person.

Most importantly, she asked how she could be

praying for Hannah May during their time together.

Near the end of the day, they took time to pray—first

Aunt Elizabeth prayed, and then Hannah May did.

Aunt Elizabeth shared the truth of God’s Word as

she answered questions that Hannah May asked.

At the end of the day, they had both made some

wonderful memories, and each of them felt full inside.

Hannah May felt that way because she had been poured

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into by Aunt Elizabeth. And Aunt Elizabeth felt that way

because she had lived her God-given purpose that day

to love and be loved.

Hannah May was so thankful for her aunt, and

Aunt Elizabeth gave thanks to God for another day to

live and love with Him.

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5

A Pigeon Named Pete

Main Street was a busy place in the city of

McAllister. Cars drove by all day on the street, and

many people walked the streets of this lively town all

day long. There were small trees planted in front of the

storefronts and quaint light posts to give the city light in

the evenings. The streets were cobblestone and the

sidewalks were laid with bricks.

In the branches of one of those trees on Main

Street, a pigeon had made her nest. Her babies waited

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every day for their mom to come home and feed them

dinner.

One day, when the mother pigeon came home to

feed her babies, one of her little ones was more eager

than usual to get his dinner. He leaned so far forward to

get to his mom that he fell out of the nest and down,

down, down to the busy sidewalk.

The little baby pigeon cried and cried for his

mother to come save him, but there was nothing she

could do to help him. She held her breath, waiting to

see what would happen to her little one.

In the meantime, the baby pigeon continued to

cry. Most of the people on the street just ignored the

little pigeon and walked on by—but one young man

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stopped and took notice of the helpless baby bird. He

was a young college student named Matt.

“Well, hey there, little fella. What happened to

you? Where did you come from?” Matt asked as he

knelt next to the little bird and looked around. Soon,

when he looked up, he realized where the little pigeon

had fallen from.

“Well that was a long way to fall for such a little

guy. I’m going to have to take you home with me and

take care of you.” And that is exactly what he did.

Matt had a little apartment above a store on

Main Street. He took the baby pigeon home with him

and warmed up some corn meal cereal. He used a

medicine dropper to feed the little bird. He got a

cardboard box and put a soft towel in it for the baby

bird to sleep in for the time being.

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“You know—you need a name,” Matt told the

little pigeon when it was all settled in and warm. “I

think I will call you Pete—Pete the pigeon. What do you

think, Pete?” The little bird just blinked at him and fell

asleep.

Matt smiled and started making plans to take

care of Pete. He talked to the downstairs shopkeeper

who was an elderly gentleman in need of a good animal

companion for his shop. He was a dear old man—and

when he heard about the poor baby pigeon, he agreed

to watch him in his shop during the day while Matt was

at class. Matt would then take Pete upstairs to take care

of him in the evenings when he was home studying.

“Well, everything’s all set, Pete,” Matt told the

little pigeon while he fed him a second meal of warm

cereal. “Tomorrow I’ll get you something better for

baby birds like you to eat. You have a new home now

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and you will be well taken care of. Don’t worry about

anything.

“You know, God was really watching out for you

today. The Bible says that God sees everything and He

cares about us. He knows when every sparrow falls.

When you fell, He saw you, and He sent me.” Matt said

as Pete finished his dinner of warm corn meal cereal,

and Matt set him back in his cozy box. “Everything will

be alright now. Good night, little one.”

And with that, Pete again looked up at his

caretaker, blinked his eyes, and fell fast asleep in

complete trust. He felt safe and secure here. Everything

was going to be just fine in this new place called Home.

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6

Hubey

The Fantastic Bear

Hubey was a teddy bear who belonged to a little

boy named Bobby. Bobby loved Hubey more than any

of his other toys. Hubey was dark brown, had very well-

worn fur, and was missing one eye. But Bobby noticed

none of that. To Bobby, Hubey was just right—for he

saw him through eyes of simple, child-like love and

acceptance.

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Hubey, however, was not so happy being a plain

old teddy bear. He wanted to be something more—

something FANTASTIC.

Every night, Bobby’s dad came in to tuck Bobby

in to bed at night and to tell him a bedtime story full of

adventures and superheroes.

And every night after the lights went out and

Hubey was safe in the arms of a soundly sleeping Bobby,

Hubey would have his own dreams of being a superhero

and of saving the day. Hubey just wanted to be

someone important.

Night after night, Hubey dreamed and dreamed

of fighting villains, rescuing Bobby from falling rocks

and dangerous floods, and of flying from place to place

in the countryside in his yellow cape and mysterious

red mask, rescuing animals in need.

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Then the morning would come, and he would go

back to being just plain old Hubey—nothing amazing—

just a much-loved and worn little teddy bear.

“Guess what, Hubey?” Bobby said excitedly one

morning to his favorite toy. “Today we’re going to the

beach, and Dad and Mom said you could come along!

You’ll have to stay in the car, but we can talk all the way

there and back! I love you, Hubey!”

Hubey was excited! An outing with Bobby! The

whole family got in the car, and Hubey was safely

tucked in Bobby’s arms for the trip down to the beach.

Bobby talked about church and school and

superheroes and exciting outdoor adventures. He told

Hubey everything, because Hubey was his most trusted

toy.

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Hubey snuggled in and just listened. His favorite

part of every day was just being with Bobby.

Bobby squeezed Hubey tight and said, “I love

you, Hubey.”

Hubey loved being loved by Bobby, but he still

wanted more.

“I want to be FANTASTIC.” Hubey continued to

think to himself. “I want to be somebody important.”

That day at the beach, Bobby saw crabs and sea

gulls, pelicans and sea shells. But something bad

happened too. Bobby nearly drowned.

As Bobby was swimming, he got caught in an

undertow current and was pulled out away from the

shore. His mom and dad yelled for help, and a lifeguard

came and saved him, with his dad close behind.

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Bobby was exhausted from fighting the current,

and he just wanted to go home.

“I want Hubey.” Bobby said weakly.

“We’re going to the car now, Buddy,” Dad said.

“You’ll see him in just a minute.”

Hubey had no idea what had happened. He had

been in the car, gazing out of the window and dreaming

of adventure.

All of a sudden, Bobby and his family arrived in a

flurry of activity—and Dad was carrying Bobby!

On the way home, Bobby slept with Hubey in his

arms, leaving Hubey to wonder what had happened.

The next day, Bobby was feeling better—though

he was still a little shaken. He spent some quiet time in

his room just talking with Hubey.

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“Hubey, yesterday I nearly drowned. A lifeguard

saved my life, ‘cause God wanted me to keep living. I’m

glad, too, because that means I can keep being with you,

Hubey. We can keep having our adventures together.

You’re my favorite toy, and you know why?” Bobby

asked Hubey as Hubey sat lopsidedly looking up at

Bobby.

“It’s because I just know you listen to me. I love

you, Hubey! You’re FANTASTIC!”

In that moment, Hubey the bear realized

something he had been missing. He didn’t need to stand

out to be important or fantastic to the whole wide

world.

No—Hubey already had everything he needed to

be happy and content. He was loved accepted for who

he was. In Bobby’s eyes, he had always been important

and fantastic.

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And why? Because Bobby saw Hubey through

eyes of love.

A lifeguard may have saved Bobby’s life, but

Hubey went through life WITH Bobby, and Bobby just

loved that Hubey was always there to listen. Do you

ever feel like Hubey? Like you just want to be someone

important—to stand out from the crowd and be

FANTASTIC?

I know I do.

But you know what? God made you special. He

designed you with a very special purpose in mind. He

loves you, and He wants the best for you.

Do you want to be something more?

Let God help you be thankful for who you are

first. Then ask your Lord to make you everything He

made you to be.

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Life is a process. I pray that God will make you

and me more like His Son, Jesus, every day—for only

God is truly FANTASTIC!

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7

It’s the Simple Things

It’s the simple things,

Not diamond rings

That really count in life.

It’s Grandma’s touch

That means so much

In a little one’s eyes.

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It’s Grandpa’s time

And Daddy being kind

That your child will remember always.

It’s Mommy’s love

And gifts from above

That are held close to the heart come what may.

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Think for a moment:

What is it that’s been

Your heart’s most deeply valued Treasure?

Did it cost money?

Or was it something that couldn’t be bought

That brought you such heartfelt pleasure?

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Where is your treasure?

Where does it lie?

Where is your true home?

Is Jesus your joy?

Is His love your heart’s cry?

Is it in Him that you find your true hope?

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Talk to Jesus.

Talk to Him now.

He is waiting for your prayer.

Thank Him for His love

And His perfect gifts.

His love for you is EVERYWHERE!

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8

A White Dress & A Clean Water Jar

There was once a little girl named Hillary who

lived in a home with two loving parents. They had little

money, but for Hillary’s birthday, they saved up to buy

her a beautiful light pink frilly dress. Hillary was so

surprised to receive such a beautiful gift, and she

wanted to wear her dress everywhere. At first, she took

good care of her dress, but as time passed, she became

careless. She played on the streets, and her dress got

ripped, tattered, torn, and covered in soot. The color of

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her dress changed from beautiful pale pink to a dingy

gray.

Hillary didn’t notice that her dress was no longer

beautiful. To her, she was still wearing the most

beautiful dress in the world. But the truth was that she

was now dressed in rags.

One day, Hillary’s Grandfather came for a visit.

He came to bring some help to his son and his son’s

family. Along with his many gifts of food and clothes, he

brought a special gift for Hillary. He had heard about

her filthy tattered dress that she would not take off, and

he wanted to offer her something that would make her

clean once again.

“Hillary,” Grandfather said as he knelt down on

Hillary’s level. “I love you very much. I have a gift for

you. But in order for me to give it to you, you will need

to give up something else that you love very much.”

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“I don’t know if I can do that, Grandfather. What

is it?” Hillary asked.

“Well, you see, I have this beautiful collection of

sweet smelling soaps and a white dress that will grow

with you, and if you ever get the dress dirty, all you will

need to do is come to me, and I will clean your dirty

dress and give you more sweet smelling soap to wash

yourself in. This is a supply that will last you all your

life,” Grandfather said.

“That sounds wonderful, Grandfather! But what

do I have to give up?” Hillary asked.

“Hillary, the dress you are wearing now is dirty

and torn, and you must give it up to receive the sweet

smelling soap to wash in and the beautiful new white

dress.” Grandfather said.

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“But Grandfather, my dress isn’t dirty. It is as

pretty as the day I first put it on,” Hillary replied, and

she turned and skipped away to go and continue her

play.

Hillary’s eyes needed to be opened to her filthy

condition and how much she needed her Grandfather’s

help. Before she could be washed and made clean, she

would need to first recognize her need to be made

clean.

A few days passed, and on the day before

Grandfather was set to leave, Hillary came to him and

said, “Grandfather, I have been thinking… I really need

what you are offering me. I looked at my reflection in a

shop window the other day, and I saw how dirty and

ragged my dress has become. Will you help me like you

said you would, Grandfather? I would like very much to

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have that sweet smelling soap and that beautiful white

dress so I can be clean.”

“Yes, my dear. They are yours. Here are two

boxes—one small and one large. The large one has your

clean white dress in it, and the small one has a bar of

sweet smelling soap. Remember to keep your dress

clean and take care of it—but if for some reason it gets

dirty, just call on me, and I will clean it for you and give

you more sweet smelling soap to wash in.

“Now go and wash up and change in the other

room, and leave behind the old dress. I will take it

away, and you will never see it again. I love you, Hillary.

All of your needs will be taken care of now. Just

remember to ask me for help when you fall down. I will

be there right away to help you find your way back up.”

Grandfather said as he handed the large white dress box

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and the small soap box to his granddaughter who had

just taken the first step to being clean.

My dears, we are all like Hillary before we come

to know Jesus. Our clothes are dirty in sin and

wrongdoing (Romans 3:23)—and the only One who can

wipe away our sin and make us clean is our Father in

Heaven when we receive His Son, Jesus Christ, as our

Savior and Lord (1 John 1:9). But first, we must

recognize that we have done wrong and ask for His

forgiveness. Then He makes us clean and clothes us in

white. He gives us purity as a treasure to guard. If we

fall and once again get dirty, He wants us to cry out to

Him so He can set us back on the right path, wash us up,

and put us back into a right relationship with Him (1

John 2:1-2). This treasure of purity that God gives us is

all because of who God is—we do nothing to earn it, so

it is called a gift of God’s grace.

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Purity is a gift to be protected. What is purity

exactly? Well, purity starts when God makes us clean

and takes away our sin—it is a way of life where we

keep ourselves from being made dirty by the

uncleanness of the world (2 Peter 1:5-9; James 1:27; 1

Peter 1:14-15).

Let me tell you another story. It is about keeping

a prized possession clean.

Movee was a little boy who lived in a country far

away from here. He had no parents. He had no home,

either. All that he owned were the threadbare clothes

on his back—he didn’t even have shoes to wear on his

feet. The one thing he owned that he guarded and kept

with him at all times was a tall glass jar that had a lid on

top. But it was not the glass jar that was his treasure. It

was what was inside of it. His jar was filled with fresh,

clean water.

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Movee got his water from a well that

missionaries had drilled for his community. He got

some clean water in his jar every day, and he sipped a

little at a time, so it would last until the next day.

Movee knew that it was important to keep his

water clean—the missionaries had told him so. They

had told him that unclean water was one of the reasons

for all of the disease in his community.

Those same missionaries were the ones who

gave Movee his glass jar with a lid on top to protect his

water and keep it clean. Movee guarded his jar with his

life—because he knew that without the water that it

kept clean, he would grow sick and die.

Purity is a lot like that clean water in the glass

jar. It is meant to be treasured and protected from the

dirt and uncleanness in the world, just like Movee

protected his water from dirt and disease.

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The dirt and uncleanness of the world is known

as corruption. Corruption comes in many forms, but it

is basically anything in the world that is not pure—

anything that is not of God that is unclean.

If we let corruption into our lives by choosing to

sin and do wrong things, the corruption that enters is

like the dirt that makes clean water dirty and unclean—

it dirties our purity.

Corruption and sin get in the way of our

relationship with God until we turn to God and once

again ask Him to cleanse us of all we have done wrong.

Then He washes us and takes the dirty stains from our

garments as Grandfather promised to do for Hillary,

making us pure again and our relationship with God

once again right. (1 John 1:9-2:2; James 5:15-16)

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These two stories are all about painting a picture

of what purity is, and why it is something to be valued

and protected.

Finally, above all else, guard your hearts and

minds. Guard your hearts and minds from the evil that

is in this world. Guard your hearts and minds from

going after things that do not lead to God. What you

allow into your heart and mind will determine whether

you are overflowing with life or whether you are in

deep darkness. (Proverbs 4:23)

I pray that your hearts will always be

overflowing with life that is from God.

If you choose to walk in the Light of God’s Love,

your rewards will be great when one day you see the

Lord.

May these words ring true in your hearts.

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May you always seek every answer in Jesus and

in the Word of God.

In Jesus’ Name, May it be so, Amen.

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9

Do You Want to Know Jesus?

The Bible says to believe in the Lord Jesus and you will

be saved. (Acts 16:31-32)

The Bible also says to confess your sins and to

repent and be baptized and you will be forgiven of your

sins—and the Holy Spirit will come and live inside of

you (1 John 1:9; Acts 2:38). To confess is to take

responsibility for your sin and to come to God for

forgiveness, knowing that He is the only One who can

forgive you. To repent is to turn from your sin. To be

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baptized is to be baptized into the death and

resurrection of Jesus. Baptism symbolizes what

happens to us when we believe in Jesus and follow

Him—we die to sin by Jesus’ power and are raised to

the new life that Jesus rose from the dead to give us

(Romans 6:3-4).

You see, the Bible says that all of us—everyone

that ever lived—has sinned—done wrong according to

God (Romans 3:23). Therefore, we all fall short of God’s

glory—meaning that we cannot have a relationship with

Him or come into His presence on our own.

That’s why God sent Jesus. The penalty for our

sins is death and separation forever from God.

But God didn’t want you to stay separated from

Him. So, He sent His only Son—Jesus Christ—down

from heaven—born as a baby—to live a sinless life—so

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that he could take your penalty of death on Himself and

die a cruel and horrible death so you wouldn’t have to.

But Jesus’ story doesn’t end there. If it did, your

story would end there, too. You see, Jesus was raised up

from the dead by God’s power—He came back to life by

the authority and power given to Him by God three days

after He had died (Acts 2:32; John 10:17-18). He was

dead, buried, and raised to life (1 Corinthians 15:4).

Because He was raised from the dead by His own

authority given to Him by God, He can never die again.

He holds the victory over sin and death, and will give

that victory to all who believe in Him (Romans 6:6-11).

Jesus loves you. The Heavenly Father loves you.

God made a way for you to know Him today and live a

life where you can say no to sin, and He made a way for

you to live forever with Him after you die your physical

death in this life.

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God is waiting for you to respond to His love.

Believe that Jesus is the Son of God—the

Lord— the One whom you are now giving

yourself and your life to obey in every big

and little thing.

Believe in your heart that God raised

Jesus from the dead.

Confess your sins to God and receive His

forgiveness.

Repent.

Be baptized into the death and

resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Declare Jesus as your Lord both with your

words and through the life you live.

Receive Jesus with a simple childlike faith,

and give your life to obeying and

following Him every day.

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This begins your Life with Jesus.

I pray that you will come to know how deep

God’s love is for you and that you will experience it

every day.

I pray that you will respond to His never-ending

love for you with a beautiful, wholehearted, and joy-

filled love of your own for your Lord.

May you walk closely with Him for all of your

days!

And never forget—He is with you always—you

are never alone!

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Michelle Lores

Writes what God puts on her heart

for the purpose of producing materials

that build up and strengthen families in Jesus Christ.

Her desire in doing this is to bring glory to God her

Maker and Heavenly Father.

Family is very special to God, the Heavenly Father of

all believers in Christ Jesus.

Every family on earth derives its name from Him.

(Ephesians 3:14).

May God bless you with His grace, peace, and love

as you believe and trust in Him and His Son,

Jesus Christ.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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Titles by

~Michelle Lores~

Children’s Titles:

Andie’s World

Auntie Netta’s Letters to Jollee and Ned

Book of SonShine Coloring Book

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Button Rose ~ A Little Bunny with an Unshakeable Spirit

Celebrating Seasons and Holidays with Oscar the Puppy

Dwight’s Prayer Journal

Godly Stories in Rhyme for Children and Families

Oscar the Christmas Puppy

Oscar the Puppy Explores His World

Pudge the Sheep

Stories and Tales Filled with God’s Love: For Kids and Families

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Inspirational Titles:

A Closer Look: A Picture Book

A Cup of SonShine for Your Day: A 31 Day Devotional

A Season for Change

Art & the Heart of God

Bowling with Limes in the Morning

Christmas Stories and Poems to Warm Your Heart

His Name is Love: A Small Book of Poetry

It’s All About Jesus

Marriage with a Mission

Poems and Letters for the Hurting

Poetry, Inspiration, and Hodgepodge!

Poetry, Love, & Art

Springtime is Here!

Summer Posies: Images and Rhymes of Florida in the Summertime

Sweet Memories with Mama

Tikvah ~Hope’s Treasure Within~

Tranquil Moments in the Garden

What is the Answer?

When the Sun Comes Out Again