http://www.blogigo.com/jewels Emails sent to the 15+ grandchildren of a dear brother in Christ en dondegr1 dondegr1 Sun, 06 Mar 2011 19:27:14 +0100 daily 1 To my dear grandchildren, The Lost Money A few summers ago we spent a weekend at a cottage on a lake with all our children and grandchildren.  They all had a happy time jumping off a large inflatable dock into fifteen feet of water. William, one of the dads, had stuffed a carefully folded fifty dollar bill into his bathing suit pocket.  In the fun of pushing and shoving each other off the dock the pocket with the money in it became torn.  At the end of the afternoon, William noticed that the money was missing from his torn pocket. William called his two boys aside and told them about the lost money.  They decided to pray about it, with faith believing what God has promised in Luke 11:9-10, "ASK, and it shall be give you: SEEK, and ye shall find; KNOCK, and it shall be opened unto you.  For every one that asks, RECEIVES; and he that seeks finds and to him that knocks it shall be OPENED." ... Sun, 06 Mar 2011 19:27:14 +0100 http://www.blogigo.com/jewels/Jewels-80-March-2-2011/73/ http://www.blogigo.com/jewels/Jewels-80-March-2-2011/73/ A Few Facts About Bats To my dear grandchildren, "The Lord is good to all; and His tender mercies are over all His works." (Psalm 145:9) Most of us have heard how a bat can fly about in total darkness and never hit an object that might be in its way.  Experiments were tried, blindfolding these creatures and turning them loose in rooms strung with piano wire, twine and other things.  The bat just flew all around these obstacles and never once touched them. God has furnished the bat with a "radar system" far more sensitive than any that man has invented.  A bat produces a sound with its mouth that is so high pitched that humans cannot hear its full range.  These sound waves strike objects in its path of flight and send back echoes to the bat's ears.  The echoes tell the bat how it must turn to avoid colliding with objects or with each other.... Sat, 19 Feb 2011 08:28:24 +0100 http://www.blogigo.com/jewels/Jewels-79-Feb.-16-2011/72/ http://www.blogigo.com/jewels/Jewels-79-Feb.-16-2011/72/ Mickey the Macaw To my dear grandchildren, Mr. & Mrs. Morgan really valued Mickey their macaw.  Not only was he a family pet, but he cost lots of money!  A macaw is a long-tailed parrot with beautiful blue, red, yellow and green feathers.  These birds come from the warm climates of Mexico and South America, so Mickey had to live indoors at the Morgans' home in Illinois. One summer day Mickey escaped from the Morgans' house.  No one seemed to know just how he got out, but there he was at the top of a tree!  Mr. & Mrs. Morgan called the fire department, which arrived with a snorkel truck to try to capture Mickey.  The snorkel lifted a fireman right up to the top of the tree.  But each time the  fireman would get within reach of Mickey, he would fly off to the next tree.  It certainly looked like an impossible job to catch Mickey. Have you ever thought of your value to God?  ... Sat, 19 Feb 2011 08:25:07 +0100 http://www.blogigo.com/jewels/Jewels-77-Jan.-31-2011/71/ http://www.blogigo.com/jewels/Jewels-77-Jan.-31-2011/71/ To my dear grandchildren, Attacked by an Octopus ! The storm was finally over.  It had almost been a hurricane; the wind and waves had caused much damage in the harbor.  The most serious damage appeared to be to the ship, the S.S. Dunvegan Castle , which had collided with the pier.  There had been damage to both the ship and the pier, but it was hard to tell how bad the damage really was. To learn how much damage had been done to the ship, an underwater diving company was hired.  John Palmer was sent to make the inspection dive.  With him was his support crew who stayed on the ship to assist him during the dive.  John reviewed with his crew the signals he would use during the dive, especially in an emergency. John went overboard in his diving suit with attached air hoses and with ropes to pull him back to the boat.  The sea was calm, and he was able to make a good inspection of both... Sat, 22 Jan 2011 16:20:56 +0100 http://www.blogigo.com/jewels/Jewels-76-Jan.-17-2011/70/ http://www.blogigo.com/jewels/Jewels-76-Jan.-17-2011/70/ To my dear grandchildren The World's Largest Snakes As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:14-15) Of the world's more than 2,500 kinds of snakes, the largest are anacondas and boa constrictors, living in the swamps and tropical forests of South and Central America, and pythons found in southeastern Asia, Africa and India. The twelve foot boa constrictor is smaller than the thirty to forty-foot anaconda and python.  All kill their prey by coiling around the animal's body and constricting it to death, and then swallowing it whole.  They do not actually"eat" their food, but draw their hinged mouths over it, and their fangs then pull it into their bodies an inch or two at a time.  After a big... Sat, 22 Jan 2011 16:18:43 +0100 http://www.blogigo.com/jewels/Jewels-75-Dec.-21-2010/69/ http://www.blogigo.com/jewels/Jewels-75-Dec.-21-2010/69/ To my dear grandchildren, A Harbor Seal's Brush With Disaster The Strait of Juan de Fuca is an inlet of the ocean dividing Canada from the State of Washington.  Passengers on two ships in this inlet were able to view a life-and-death drama between a pod of Orcas, which are killer whales, and a harbor seal. ..  Earlier in the day, twelve passengers and a boat pilot set out in a large, inflatable boat, called a Zodiac boat, from the Canadian side on a whale watching tour.  They got to see more than they expected when they finally located a pod of the black and white Orcas by their tall dorsal fins.  These killer whales had spotted a lone harbor seal and were chasing it. ..  In the open water, the seal didn't have much chance of escaping the whales.  Orcas are 30 feet long, and seals are 5 to 6 feet long. Orcas weigh 16,000 pounds, and seals weigh 300 pounds.  Orcas swim at a... Sat, 22 Jan 2011 16:16:21 +0100 http://www.blogigo.com/jewels/Jewels-74-Dec.-6-2010/68/ http://www.blogigo.com/jewels/Jewels-74-Dec.-6-2010/68/ To my dear grandchildren At the Count of Three . . . We were two little girls full of fun and foolishness, that day many years ago when Mother sent us to the spring for a pail of water.  The dirt around the spring had been dug out about four feet deep to make a pond from the spring water, and then it was lined with smooth stones.  The water level was down about two feet, but it was still about two feet deep. We had been acting silly, as I carelessly stooped to fill the pail.  Oops! . . . Slipped! After my big splash, I looked up expecting to see my sister's laughing face.  Instead, I saw a huge diamondback rattlesnake slithering up on the rocks just a few feet from me.  He had come for a drink, too, and maybe wasn't too pleased that I was there.  I knew that I must stay just as still as possible, and also that I could never get past that snake.  In a quiet voice I told my sister about the rattlesnake and... Sun, 12 Dec 2010 04:33:45 +0100 http://www.blogigo.com/jewels/Jewels-73-Nov.-23-2010/67/ http://www.blogigo.com/jewels/Jewels-73-Nov.-23-2010/67/ To my dear grandchildren,   Stop for Red Lights Mr. Peters lived in New York City.  Usually when he was driving around town, traffic was so heavy that he did not bother to check if the traffic lights were red or green before he crossed an intersection.  He just pushed his way through the crowd of cars and taxis along with everyone else. One day Mr. Peters was driving in the suburbs with Mr. Grant, a friend.  Mr. Peters was talking excitedly to Mr. Grant, telling him a story.  Mr. Grant suddenly interrupted, "Hey," he shouted, "you just went through a red light!" Mr. Peters looked in his rear view mirror.  Sure enough, he had just driven right through a red light.  Rather embarrassed, he apologized to Mr. Grant, "I'm so sorry   . . . this is the first time I've ever done that!  I don't ever remember going through a red light before!" It... Sun, 12 Dec 2010 04:32:45 +0100 http://www.blogigo.com/jewels/Jewels-72-Nov.-11-2010/66/ http://www.blogigo.com/jewels/Jewels-72-Nov.-11-2010/66/ To my dear grandchildren Don't Argue With a Jaguar "Every beast of the forest is Mine. . . . And the wild beasts of the field are Mine."  (Psalm 50:10-11) A jaguar can easily be mistaken for a leopard since the brownish-yellow fur of each, covered with black spots, is so similar.  But there are some differences.  The adult jaguar is larger, and many of the circular spots covering its body have a darker black spot in the center, while those of the leopard are solid.  Some South American jaguars are almost coal black. The jaguar, up to 8 feet long including its 2 1/2-foot tail, may weigh up to 290 pounds.  The huge mouth in its large head has strong, sharp teeth and a long tongue covered with tiny rasps that help get the last bite of flesh off the bones of its victims.  Out of that mouth also comes a frightening roar.  This ferocious cat is the most feared animal in Mexico, Central... Sat, 27 Nov 2010 18:01:18 +0100 http://www.blogigo.com/jewels/Jewels-71-Nov.-4-2010/65/ http://www.blogigo.com/jewels/Jewels-71-Nov.-4-2010/65/ To my dear grandchildren, The Wandering Albatross "Be Thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let Thy glory be above all the earth." (Psalm 57:5) Over the centuries, sailors traveling on the southern oceans have been surprised to find a lone albatross here or there.  Sometimes they are hundreds or even thousands of miles from land.  Many have thought these large birds must have been blown out to sea by storms and couldn't find their way back, but this is not the case. From the beginning God has given these birds a remarkable sense of direction.  Although they may seem to wander aimlessly, apparently they are never lost.  They just seem to enjoy being out over the wide ocean expanses.   God has given them long, strong, pointed wings with a spread of eleven feet.  This allows them to glide great distances for long periods of time.  They spend many months away from land, coming to land only... Mon, 01 Nov 2010 01:23:49 +0100 http://www.blogigo.com/jewels/Jewels-70-Oct.-19-2010/64/ http://www.blogigo.com/jewels/Jewels-70-Oct.-19-2010/64/ To my dear grandchildren, Saved by Man's Best Friend "Go get some firewood from outside," Austin's mom said to him.  Austin is an eleven-year old boy who lives 150 miles north of Vancouver in Western Canada.  This part of Canada is all mountains and woods. He stepped into his boots and pulled his jacket around his shoulders.  A light fixture from the garage wall faintly lit up the darkness.  The snow crunched under his feet as he walked to the woodpile.  The boy's dog, a golden retriever named Angel, walked by his side.  Out of the corner of his eye, in the faint light, he saw a shape rushing towards him.  It moved too fast for a dog. He suddenly realized it was a cougar.  Before he even had time to scream out for help, Angel leaped up to defend the boy against the attacking cat, and a horrible fight broke out. Austin watched... Tue, 12 Oct 2010 03:34:00 +0200 http://www.blogigo.com/jewels/Jewels-69-Oct.-4-2010/63/ http://www.blogigo.com/jewels/Jewels-69-Oct.-4-2010/63/ To my dear grandchildren, She Needed a Quarter   Many years ago, a lady boarded a bus and a moment or two later the conductor asked for her fare.  Reaching for her wallet, she suddenly discovered she didn't have it!  She looked all through her purse, but the wallet wasn't there. She realized then that she must have left it at home on the table when she took out the quarter for her bus ride that morning.  The bus driver told her she would have to get off if she couldn't pay her fare. It was a hot day, and she was miles away from home.  What could she do?  Seeing a park across the street, she went over to sit down on a park bench so she could think what to do.  She was stumped, but then she remembered she had God to turn to for help!  She would tell Him about here problem.  Opening a pocket New Testament she carried, her eyes fell on Philippians 4:19, which was underlined:  "My God... Tue, 12 Oct 2010 03:32:00 +0200 http://www.blogigo.com/jewels/Jewels-68-Sept.-30-2010/62/ http://www.blogigo.com/jewels/Jewels-68-Sept.-30-2010/62/ To my dear grandchildren,   The Musical Cricket  "God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and everything that creepeth  upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good." (Genesis 1:25) For its small size the male cricket is a very noisy insect whose chirps can be heard a mile away on a quiet night.  Theses sounds are made in much the way as a musician playing a violin.   The upper surface of each wing is equipped with a scraper.  This is drawn over the lower part of the wing that has a hundred or more rough cross-ridges.  By moving its wings, the chirp sound is made.  This "music" is the way the Creator designed crickets to "talk" with one another. Toward the end of summer, the female cricket makes a hole in the soil about an inch deep and deposits about three hundred little, banana shaped eggs.... Sat, 25 Sep 2010 09:59:00 +0200 http://www.blogigo.com/jewels/Jewels-67-Sept.-17-2010/60/ http://www.blogigo.com/jewels/Jewels-67-Sept.-17-2010/60/ To my dear grandchildren, Discovered Greg Johnstone yawned and stretched.  The morning sun shining through his window had wakened him after a good night's sleep, and now he was ready to get up and go to work. Suddenly, he noticed something and jumped out of bed.  Something was wrong!  His clothes were not neatly folded as he had left them.  In fact, some of them weren't even there.  He hurried from room to room, checking to see if anything else was gone.  Yes, his watch was gone, and his wallet and several other small, valuable items also were gone.  Greg knew that he had carefully locked the doors before he went to bed, and he did not see how anyone could have gotten in.  Continuing his search, he found that one of the windows at the back of the house had been broken.  He also noticed that there was blood on the glass.  Looking more closely, he found spots of blood in the different rooms where the thief... Sat, 25 Sep 2010 09:57:29 +0200 http://www.blogigo.com/jewels/Jewels-66-August-30-2010/59/ http://www.blogigo.com/jewels/Jewels-66-August-30-2010/59/ To my dear grandchildren The Comical Puffin  "Hast thou not heard, that . . . the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary?" (Isaiah 40:28) The colorful bird called the puffin lives in the Arctic waters of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.  It has a comical look because of its bright-orange, high, flattened bill with blue and red stripes.  Its white, puffy face is topped with a black skullcap.  Add to this a body with a black collar and cape and stubby, orange legs and feet.  Though it seems to be a strange-looking bird, it is well-suited to its environment. The puffin is an expert swimmer and diver and is skillful at catching seafood to eat.  Its beak can hold several fish crosswise while pursuing and catching others.  How does a puffin manage this?  The answer is spines on its tongue and on the roof of its mouth that spear the fish and... Sat, 25 Sep 2010 09:55:09 +0200 http://www.blogigo.com/jewels/Jewels-65-August-16-2010/58/ http://www.blogigo.com/jewels/Jewels-65-August-16-2010/58/ To My dear grandchildren Playing with Danger What a beautiful day , Faye thought as she looked out the window.  Then she saw something that wasn't so beautiful.  It was Tommy, her cat.  That bad cat!" she exclaimed. "He's caught another chipmunk!" Feeling sorry for the chipmunk, Faye ran out into the front yard and grabbed Tommy by the scruff of the neck, forcing him to drop the chipmunk. All of us, from the time we are born, are so much like the chipmunk in the cat's mouth.  God tells us that Satan is the god and prince of this world, and we are under his power until the Lord Jesus sets us free.  We know that chipmunk could not have freed itself from Tommy's jaws, and we cannot free ourselves from Satan's power either.  Only the Lord Jesus can free us, because He broke Satan's power when He died on the cross.   "Through... Sat, 25 Sep 2010 09:51:00 +0200 http://www.blogigo.com/jewels/Jewels-64-July-22-2010/57/ http://www.blogigo.com/jewels/Jewels-64-July-22-2010/57/ To my dear grandchildren, Big Trouble for Big Birds Have you ever been in trouble?  Most of us would have to answer "yes," and some of us would have to admit we needed help to get our of that trouble.  Those of us who have accepted the Lord Jesus as our Saviour know that He " is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble " (Psalm 46:1).  We only need to ask Him for help. This story is about a large group of bald eagles that got into serious trouble and needed help.  If you have never seen bald eagles, they are large, magnificent birds, and when fully grown they can measure up to three feet long, with wing spans of seven feet.  Their white heads and tails and large, yellow bills easily identify the mature eagles.  One favorite food of these birds is fish. Almost half of all bald eagles in the world live in Alaska.  God cares for them and gave them homes near an abundance of food.  He sees and cares for all His... Thu, 15 Jul 2010 16:24:11 +0200 http://www.blogigo.com/jewels/Jewels-63-July-12-2010/56/ http://www.blogigo.com/jewels/Jewels-63-July-12-2010/56/ To my dear grandchildren, A Mom's Disappointment Beth took a long time preparing the vegetables to add to the meat she had ready for a large pot of stew.  Then she began to cook it slowly.  As it cooked, the wonderful smell of the vegetables and meat made her hungry.  Her family would be able to enjoy at least two delicious meals from the pot of stew. Beth carefully set the large pot of cooked stew outside to cool overnight.  The lid on the pot fit tightly, but to make it even more secure, she set some heavy items on top of it to make sure it couldn't be opened.  She went to bed that night contented that her dinner for the next day was fully prepared and safely cooling outside. In the morning she remembered her pot of stew outside the back door and knew that it was probably quite cold.  She opened the door to bring it inside, but what met her eyes was an unbelievable sight!  The heavy items were scattered around, the lid was somewhere else,... Thu, 15 Jul 2010 16:22:33 +0200 http://www.blogigo.com/jewels/Jewels-62-June-28-2010/55/ http://www.blogigo.com/jewels/Jewels-62-June-28-2010/55/ To my dear grandchildren, The Tough Seagull " God . . . [teaches] us more than the beasts of the earth,  and [makes] us wiser than the fowls of heaven ." (Job 35:10-11) Part of the fun of being at the sea shore is watching the seagulls.  They can be seen soaring high in the sky, walking on the sand, or just resting on the water.  Their high-pitched "meews" are loud enough to be heard above the noise of the waves.  Occasionally they will give harsh squawks when they fight over a scrap of food.  There are many varieties of seagulls, but, the herring gull is the most common.  Its head, back and underside are white with partly black wings, and its beak and web-footed legs are orange. Although they are pretty and fun to watch, they often fight among themselves.  Most are bullies and get into fights with each other by rough pushes with stiff, half-open wings or nasty pecks with their sharp beaks.  But they are part of... Thu, 15 Jul 2010 16:20:28 +0200 http://www.blogigo.com/jewels/Jewels-61-June-12-2010/54/ http://www.blogigo.com/jewels/Jewels-61-June-12-2010/54/ To my dear grandchildren, The Peculiar Aardvark " Thou hast made . . . the earth, and all things that are therein . . . and Thou preservest them all ." (Nehemiah 9:6) The four - to six-foot long one hundred fifty-pound African aardvark is unlike any other creature in the world.  Its nearest relative might be a pig; in fact, the name aardvark means "earth pig."  It was given this name by Dutch settlers in Africa in the 1600s.  But the aardvark's similarity to a pig is mostly in its long snout, nostrils, brown body and bristly hair.  Its long, upright ears look more like donkey ears, its tail is something like a kangaroo's, and its arched body is not too different from a hyena's. There are two things the aardvark does very well.  One is finding termite nests, which look like concrete mounds.  Approaching one, the aardvark listens carefully to determine if termites are inside.  Hearing their movement, it tears the... Thu, 15 Jul 2010 16:18:10 +0200 http://www.blogigo.com/jewels/Jewels-60-May-29-2010/53/ http://www.blogigo.com/jewels/Jewels-60-May-29-2010/53/