Paws & Tales

Guest (Male): Another beaver here. Did you know that we have a big blank wall in the clubhouse that needs to get filled up? How about this? Parents, take a photo of your child listening to Paws & Tales wherever they happen to listen. It could be comfy places, funny places, you know, we'd love to see them.

I will personally post these photos on that blank wall for all to see. I’ve got some tape right here. Just send them into pawsandtails.org. This is so fun.

Insight for Living: Welcome to the world of Paws & Tales. Wild Mountain can be a pretty dangerous place, so stay on the trails and stick with me. There's adventure to be had there too. Come on, CJ, jump. It's too far. It wasn't too far for me. Insight for Living is proud to present Paws & Tales.

Howdy and welcome to Wildwood. The new library is just about done, at least on the outside. Inside, workers are rushing around doing their best to have everything in place for the ribbon cutting ceremony. Right now, the club is swinging by CJ's house on the way to school. They're about to find out that the new library is only one of the changes that've been going on in town.

Guest (Female): Hey, guys.

Guest (Male): Wow, look at you.

Guest (Female): What?

Guest (Male): Well, look at you, CJ Brown. You have a brand new outfit.

Guest (Male): It's not an outfit. It's just some new clothes.

Guest (Male): Well, let's just take a look here. New coat, new pants, new shirt, and new shoes. I'd say that qualifies as a new outfit.

Guest (Female): And a pretty fancy outfit, too.

Guest (Male): Can we go to school now?

Guest (Female): That outfit must have cost a fortune.

Guest (Male): I don't know. You guys going to go to the ribbon cutting ceremony?

Guest (Male): Of course we are. Why can't I wait? I've never been to a party for a brand new something before. Well, except for when Willie was born. I guess that counts as a new something.

Guest (Male): I was going to say that for that matter, I suppose that would be true for all my brothers and sisters. I guess we had a brand new something parties for all of them when they were born.

Guest (Male): As I was saying.

Guest (Male): And then there was the Ned's new house party, don't you remember? That was a humdinger. Now I forgot what I was going to say, but I think I'm more bothered you actually said humdinger.

Guest (Female): So what's the special occasion? Why the new clothes?

Guest (Male): I don't know. No reason, I guess.

Guest (Female): Maybe that your dad is only the head lawyer for Mr. Rockler now. You guys must be raking in the dough.

Guest (Male): Yeah, I'll bet you guys will be buying a car soon, maybe even a limousine.

Guest (Male): Ned, knock it off. Anyway, fishing this afternoon?

Guest (Male): Yeah, fishing.

Guest (Female): Oh, okay.

Guest (Male): Absolutely fishing.

Guest (Male): I can't.

Guest (Female): Why?

Guest (Male): I'm helping with the ribbon cutting thing for the library.

Guest (Male): Why would you help? Like, why would anyone want my help?

Guest (Male): I didn't mean that.

Guest (Male): Because I'm a helping sort of guy. I'm a helper and prompt.

Guest (Male): Yes, very prompt.

Guest (Female): Oh, brother.

Guest (Male): And responsible.

Guest (Male): And a snappy dresser.

Guest (Male): And a snappy dresser. You're not helping.

Guest (Male): I'm sorry.

Guest (Male): Anyway, Mr. Rockler asked me to help.

Guest (Male): He did not. Mr. Rockler himself?

Guest (Male): Yeah.

Guest (Male): Wow, CJ.

Guest (Male): Yeah, wow. Well, maybe we can fish tomorrow.

Guest (Male): Why don't you just ask Mr. Rockler if you can go fishing tomorrow?

Guest (Male): I can't go fishing. I'm helping every day until the ceremony.

Guest (Male): That's just great.

Guest (Male): Every day? Well, what are you going to be doing?

Guest (Male): All kinds of stuff. Decorating, organizing, setting up. As soon as it's over, though, things will be back to normal. Really.

Insight for Living: Well, things started off rough and just got rougher every day. CJ was so busy with the library's ribbon cutting ceremony that he didn't have any time to be with the club at all. So they just gathered at the river for some fishing and some talking.

They were pretty steamed up at CJ and all the attention that he was getting around town. Then they got downright offended when they realized that even Tiffany was starting to treat CJ differently. She was treating him nice.

Guest (Female): Well, I don't like it. Tiffany likes him now. He's changing and he's doing it right before our eyes.

Guest (Male): I don't think he's changing, really. He's just getting stuff.

Guest (Male): Like new outfit.

Guest (Male): Like new friends.

Guest (Male): Like personal attention from Mr. Rockler. I'm so mad, I'm...

Guest (Male): You're what?

Guest (Male): Oh, no. I can't think of the word. That doesn't happen to me. I'm so mad I'm not thinking forward, up, right, downright. This is distressing.

Guest (Male): But outfits and new friends and special attention aren't bad things. CJ's just being sort of blessed.

Guest (Male): Blessed right into a new socioeconomic category.

Guest (Male): What?

Guest (Male): I heard it somewhere.

Guest (Female): Well, what does that mean?

Guest (Male): I don't know what it means, but that doesn't mean it isn't true. Did I just say that? I've kind of calmed down.

Guest (Male): Makes sense to me.

Guest (Male): Oh, no. Now I'm making sense to Goos. What's wrong with me?

Guest (Male): It seems to me like you all are just mad that he's getting stuff and getting popular and you're just kind of, well, jealous.

Guest (Male): That is not true. Oh, did you hear that? Did I really just say not-uh? My mind is turning to mush.

Guest (Male): Hey, guys.

Guest (Male): Hey, CJ Brown. You coming fishing?

Guest (Male): Yes, I am. We got done early today and man, I'm pooped. How are they biting?

Guest (Male): Not bad. Oh, looky there. Another new outfit.

Guest (Male): Well, what's wrong with you guys?

Guest (Male): They're a little put out with you for being gone so much.

Guest (Male): Are they?

Guest (Male): Careful, you might scare the fish away with your new outfit.

Guest (Male): Good grief. I'm sorry about being gone so much, but I can't help it. And it's almost over anyway. Okay, I got an idea. Behind the new library is a new place. You can go in and play chess or sit in big leather chairs and read by a big fireplace and talk and stuff. My dad took me in there yesterday.

Guest (Female): Goody for you.

Guest (Male): Why don't we go?

Guest (Male): Us? Now?

Guest (Male): Sure, why not?

Guest (Male): I like chess.

Guest (Male): I like chess by a big fireplace even better. I just said a whole sentence without making a mistake. I'm not mad now and I'm talking normal again.

Guest (Female): But it's hot outside. Why would there be a fire in the fireplace?

Guest (Male): I like big leather chairs.

Guest (Male): Really? We can go?

Guest (Male): It's a part of the library. Anyone can go. Come on.

Guest (Male): Here it is.

Guest (Female): I don't know, CJ. This looks pretty nice.

Guest (Male): It is nice. Come on.

Guest (Male): I'm going to go play chess by the fire. Okay, who wants to get beat first?

Guest (Male): They have a restaurant in there, too.

Guest (Female): A restaurant?

Guest (Male): Maybe we could get some sandwiches.

Guest (Male): Sandwiches would be good.

Guest (Female): That would be good.

Guest (Male): All right, everybody. Come on in. Wow, look at this place.

Guest (Male): Really, wow.

Guest (Male): Can I help you?

Guest (Male): Sure. I'd want to play chess by the big, look at the size of that fireplace. Look at the size of those chess pieces. I like it here.

Guest (Female): I'd like to sit in the big leather chair.

Guest (Male): Lovely. Are you members of the President's Club?

Guest (Female): The President's Club?

Guest (Male): This is a private club. I guess we're not really members, but...

Guest (Male): I'm afraid that only members are allowed. Mr. Brown, good afternoon. I didn't see you there.

Guest (Male): Me? Oh, I'm Mr. Brown, aren't I?

Guest (Male): We can't get in. We're not members of the President's Club.

Guest (Male): Well, how do you become a member?

Guest (Male): There is an annual fee.

Guest (Male): Okay, how much?

Guest (Male): $1,000.

Guest (Male): $1,000? Might as well be a cabillion. I'm doing it again, cabillion. Where did that come from?

Guest (Female): Who would have that kind of money?

Guest (Male): But since you are all guest of Mr. Brown, I would be happy to welcome you to the President's Club.

Guest (Male): Mr. Brown? CJ?

Guest (Male): Me? I'm a member?

Guest (Male): The Brown family are all members.

Guest (Male): You're a member of the President's Club?

Guest (Male): I had no idea.

Guest (Male): If it weren't for CJ, they wouldn't let us in. Forget it. I'm going fishing.

Guest (Male): Gosh, that's not right.

Guest (Male): I hope you enjoy your new club. Toodles. I was trying to sting him with sarcasm and I came up with toodles.

Guest (Female): Can I have a sandwich to go?

Insight for Living: Hi, Dave Carl, creator of Paws & Tales here. I've been a children's pastor now for 14 years, so I know it can be a confusing world to raise your kids in.

Paws & Tales was designed from the beginning to deliver one big message in hundreds of creative ways. That message? God is just crazy in love with his children. Kids need to hear that, and so does every adult.

All of us here at Paws & Tales want the whole world to hear this message, but we need help to do that. Would you join us in this mission to invite kids and their parents to receive the love that God is offering to his children? Just log on to pawsandtails.org. Click on the donate button and support us with a donation of any size. It would be so great to have you join the club.

CJ was so confused he didn't know what side was up. He hadn't been mean to anyone. He hadn't done anything wrong. And still, the club was furious with him. So there he sat in the study of the President's Club, talking it over with of all people, Tiffany Rockler.

Guest (Male): I don't get it.

Guest (Female): I know. People, normal people, think that it's easy to be well off.

Guest (Male): I'm well off?

Guest (Female): Look around, CJ. You're different now. Your father has become an important man in this town. That makes you part of a different group, a special group. You'll have privileges and opportunities that you've never had before. You don't have to be like you were before.

Guest (Male): What before? Tiffany, I'm the same as I've always been.

Guest (Female): You can be very slow sometimes. Your old friends see it, why can't you?

Guest (Male): What do they see? They're mad at me and I'm not sure why.

Guest (Female): It's because you've moved up and they've not. You're becoming what they want to become, but they know that they never will. That's why they're mad at you. It's the way people are. You'll just have to get used to it.

Guest (Male): I can't believe this.

Guest (Male): Okay, I'm calling the meeting of the club. Why can't we just come up with a name for this club? I'm calling this meeting to order. What are we going to do about CJ?

Guest (Male): Well, I vote for clogging.

Guest (Male): What's clogging? You want to dance in wooden shoes?

Guest (Male): That's not what I meant.

Guest (Male): That sounds really fun.

Guest (Male): Stop so angry, I don't know what I'm saying. Anyway, CJ is out of control.

Guest (Male): Yes, he is.

Guest (Male): How is he out of control? You guys are not thinking clear.

Guest (Male): Overruled. May I have the floor, please? This is a classic struggle between the haves and the have-nots.

Guest (Male): Oh, and we're the have-nots.

Guest (Male): Correct. Yes, it is the have-nots, those like us, that make this whole world go round. But the haves own everything.

Guest (Male): Correct again. CJ is becoming a have, and we need to rescue him.

Guest (Male): Let's just pretend for a moment that you are all not nuts. Besides having more stuff, what's the difference between haves and have-nots?

Guest (Male): I don't know, don't look at me.

Guest (Male): I don't know, Ned knows.

Guest (Male): What? Well, sure I do. A have-not would never go into a private club.

Guest (Female): That's right. Go on.

Guest (Male): A have-not would never miss a club meeting for a fancy smancy society meeting.

Guest (Female): I totally agree. I think a have-not would never wear clothes that are so fancy that it would make their friends uncomfortable.

Guest (Male): Yes, Marsha, good for you.

Guest (Female): Thank you.

Guest (Male): Nutballs, all of you.

Guest (Male): And a have-not would never spend time with Tiffany.

Guest (Male): That's a good one. I like it.

Guest (Male): Tiffany is in our classroom. We're with her every day.

Guest (Male): A have-not would never spend time with Tiffany and enjoy it. That's it. Perfect. This club is only for have-nots. If CJ won't agree to these rules, he's out.

Guest (Male): I agree wholeheartedly.

Guest (Male): Yeah, okay. Do you think he'll agree?

Guest (Male): Nutballs as far as I can see. Nothing but nutballs.

Insight for Living: So the next day at school, Ned, Stacy, Marsha, and Goos told CJ the way things were going to be.

Guest (Male): So if you're not at our meeting Saturday, then you can consider yourself out of the club.

Guest (Male): Even if I'm at the banquet at the President's Club?

Guest (Female): Especially if you're at the President's Club.

Guest (Male): Come on, you guys. I have to be there. I've got no choice. You know, you're all invited, too.

Guest (Male): To the President's Club? Oh, can I sit in one of those big leather chairs?

Guest (Male): How did we get invited? Are we members now?

Guest (Male): No, you're not members.

Guest (Female): Why ever would they let us in?

Guest (Male): Because I asked. I wanted my friends to be at a really nice banquet.

Guest (Male): Nope, nope, nope. A have-not would never go into a private club. That's one of the new rules.

Guest (Male): So you're not going to come?

Guest (Female): No, and you better not be there either, or you will only be a member of the President's Club. We mean it, CJ. This is serious.

Insight for Living: Well, tensions were high. It seemed the situation could not get any more complicated. But then it did. It got a bunch more complicated.

Guest (Female): I'll get it, Mom. Yes?

Guest (Male): Are you Ms. Stacy Clemmer?

Guest (Female): Yes. Stacy, who is that?

Guest (Female): I'm not sure.

Guest (Male): This is a special delivery from Mr. Rockler. He requested that you respond no later than tomorrow afternoon.

Guest (Female): Mr. Rockler? Respond to what?

Guest (Male): It's all in the envelope. Don't forget, tomorrow afternoon.

Guest (Female): What would Mr. Rockler send you?

Guest (Female): I have no idea. Dear Ms. Clemmer, you are cordially invited to be a presenter.

Guest (Female): What's a presenter?

Guest (Female): At the Wildwood Community Library dedication banquet. I would consider it a personal favor.

Guest (Female): A personal favor? Oh, wow, that's big, Stace. That's really big.

Guest (Female): If you would prepare a short three to five minute speech honoring your friend, CJ Brown. You've got to be kidding. He wants me to say nice things about CJ.

Guest (Female): Wow, that's great. Wow, exciting. Why's he getting honored?

Guest (Female): Please accept my invitation to join my daughter Tiffany and I at the head table with CJ and his family. Blah, blah, blah.

Guest (Female): It says blah, blah, blah?

Guest (Female): No, it doesn't. CJ's being honored for his leadership in the community.

Guest (Female): Wow, that's our CJ.

Guest (Female): Yeah. If I do this, I'll be going into a private club, for which I could get kicked out of our club. And I'll miss the club meeting, for which I could get kicked out of the club again. To top it all off, I'll be there helping to honor CJ for becoming all rich and popular.

Guest (Male): Welcome everyone to my new podcast, Ned Knows. Today my guest is my good friend, Goos.

Guest (Male): Not really sure what that meant, but Goos, why do you think that Paws & Tales is amazing?

Guest (Male): I love Paws & Tales because it's funny and really deep. Some things are only deep and not very, you know.

Guest (Male): Yeah, we get it. Yes.

Guest (Male): And funny. Paws & Tales is both.

Guest (Male): It is indeed. This isn't going as well as I had imagined.

Guest (Male): Funny and deep. Deep, I know.

Guest (Male): Wow, Ned really does know.

Guest (Male): Hey, you're right. Well, thanks for being with us for another episode of Ned Knows.

Guest (Male): Paws & Tales is both funny and deep.

Guest (Male): Look, it's my podcast, and I can have the last word, okay? Goodbye.

Guest (Male): Deep and funny.

Guest (Male): Goos.

Insight for Living: Stacy found herself on the proverbial horns of a dilemma. Down deep, she knew that the only thing keeping her from honoring old CJ was her jealous pride. Problem is, she'd gotten sort of used to the feeling of jealousy. Even though it was making her miserable, she just wasn't ready to let it go. So she just wandered around town trying to come up with reasons to not do this nice thing for her good friend CJ Brown.

Guest (Female): And if you'd rather spend this time with Tiffany, then just let him.

Guest (Female): Hey Stacy, how's it going?

Guest (Female): Somewhere between rotten and terrible, Courtney. How's your day?

Guest (Female): Oh, well, fine, I guess.

Guest (Male): Hey there, Stacy.

Guest (Female): Hey Papa Chuck.

Guest (Male): Wow, you look like you have a dark cloud following you around. What's the matter?

Guest (Female): I got troubles.

Guest (Male): Vanilla soda troubles or chocolate malt troubles?

Guest (Female): Chocolate malt.

Guest (Male): Wow, let's get over to the pharmacy.

Guest (Female): And he acts like he's too good for all of us all of a sudden.

Guest (Male): I don't think CJ would do that.

Guest (Female): He's dressing up and getting new stuff.

Guest (Male): So you don't like that his dad is getting a new car?

Guest (Female): New car? Ned said that they would get one. He said it was just a joke. See what I mean?

Guest (Male): I believe I do. Pretty serious stuff.

Guest (Female): Yes, it is.

Guest (Male): Well, before we go and confront CJ.

Guest (Female): Confront?

Guest (Male): Well, yeah, he needs to know how his attitude's affecting everybody.

Guest (Female): I suppose.

Guest (Male): Okay, let's start a list of the stuff he's doing wrong.

Guest (Female): Okay, a list would be good.

Guest (Male): All right, what's first?

Guest (Female): Well, the first thing is that he won't join us for club stuff anymore.

Guest (Male): Really? Why?

Guest (Female): Because he's always working on that library thing.

Guest (Male): Good. CJ is working very hard on a project for the community that his father has asked him to. Dedication.

Guest (Female): Well, that's not. What's next?

Guest (Female): He's spending time with Tiffany.

Guest (Male): Wow.

Guest (Female): Yeah.

Guest (Male): CJ is spending time with people he'd rather not be with in order to get an important job done. Perseverance.

Guest (Female): I don't think. Anything else?

Guest (Female): Well, he started dressing up all the time in his new clothes and it makes us all uncomfortable.

Guest (Male): Whoa, CJ's wearing the new clothes his mother bought him and told him to wear. Obeying his mom. Wow, Stace. I think we may need to get Officer Hunt involved here.

Guest (Female): Very funny. Just because I can't explain it very well doesn't mean it's not serious.

Guest (Male): Stace, it's very serious. But CJ hasn't done anything wrong here. He's been given a lot lately. Money, opportunity. They even want to honor him at the banquet. Some of it he's earned. Some of it God just gave to him. When good things happen to you, you want your friends to be happy with you.

Guest (Female): Yeah, but.

Guest (Male): Bible says to rejoice with those who rejoice and weep at those who weep. The weeping part we do pretty well. The rejoicing part is tougher, because we tend to just get jealous and wish the good stuff had happened to us.

Guest (Female): You think I'm jealous.

Guest (Male): I think you need to decide that for yourself. You only have a little while left to tell Mr. Rockler if you're going to help honor CJ. Best be deciding soon. I better get going. Let me know what you come up with.

Guest (Female): Well, Stacy did finally come to the conclusion that she was jealous of CJ and jealous that he was spending time with Tiffany instead of her. So she wrote a note back to Mr. Rockler.

Guest (Female): Mr. Rockler, I'm sorry to tell you that I will not be able to be at the banquet Saturday.

Insight for Living: She just could not bring herself to rejoice with CJ and she wouldn't talk to anyone about it. You see, she knew she was wrong and well, she just wanted to be wrong. Saturday morning came and after doing some digging in the garden, she got all dirty and sweaty, so she decided to head over to the general store for a soda. It was then that she saw Ned wearing a suit and tie.

Guest (Female): Ned Cleaver?

Guest (Male): Hi, Stace.

Guest (Female): What's all this?

Guest (Male): Well, I'm headed over to the ribbon cutting ceremony. Oh, you smell like fertilizer.

Guest (Female): I was working in the garden. What's with the fancy suit?

Guest (Male): What's with the dirty overalls?

Guest (Female): Why are you all dressed up?

Guest (Male): I'm helping to honor CJ at the banquet afterwards.

Guest (Female): You're what? I thought we agreed. We made new rules.

Guest (Male): I know, but I talked it over with Papa Chuck. I was just jealous. CJ didn't do anything wrong. I'm not mad anymore. I just want to go and rejoice with him, like the Bible.

Guest (Female): I know, like the Bible says. Papa Chuck told me too.

Guest (Male): Why did he tell you?

Guest (Female): They asked me to honor CJ too.

Guest (Male): Really? Well, then we can do it together.

Guest (Female): No. I said I wouldn't. I said I wouldn't do it.

Guest (Male): No. Did you really?

Guest (Female): I'm so mad. I'm sorry, but those rules we made were really dumb.

Guest (Female): No. I'm mad that you got it and did the right thing and I didn't. It's embarrassing.

Guest (Male): Oh. Well, okay then. You know, we're all invited to the banquet. You could still come.

Guest (Female): Yeah?

Guest (Male): Yeah. What do you say? There's still time to rejoice with CJ. You want to?

Guest (Female): Okay. Let's be there for him.

Guest (Male): Stace?

Guest (Female): Yeah?

Guest (Male): How about you go wash up and change into something else?

Guest (Female): Oh, yeah. I guess I better.

Guest (Male): (Singing) When I see folks get brand new things, it used to make me mad. Not because they shouldn't have them, but just because they had. My demeanor just got greener till I stopped to pray. God changed my heart, forgive my pride, now I can truly say.

I want to rejoice, rejoice, rejoice with you. I want to rejoice, rejoice, like good friends do. So when God brings you blessings, I'll be smiling through and through. It’s true, I want to rejoice with you.

When I want to get my paws on someone else's stuff. When my head gets extra fuzzy thinking my gifts aren't enough. I count the many blessings I forgot were mine. Then I'm so glad and happy that you got blessed this time.

I want to rejoice, rejoice, rejoice with you. I want to rejoice, rejoice, like good friends do. So when God brings you blessings, I'll be smiling through and through. Yahoo! I want to rejoice with you.

I won't simply grin and bear it. I'll thank the Lord that you’ve got new friends and more. It's your big day, I want to share it, because that’s what friends are for. Five, four, three, two, one. Let’s rejoice.

Five, four, three, two, one. Let’s rejoice. Five, four, three, two, one. Let’s rejoice. Wonderful what you've gone into. Celebrate something new. Cheers for you, my friend. High-five. Let’s celebrate.

Wonderful what you've gone into. Celebrate something new. Cheers for you, my friend. High-five. Let’s celebrate. Wonderful what you've gone into. Celebrate something new. Cheers for you, my friend. High-five. Let’s celebrate.

Wonderful what you've gone into. Celebrate something new. Cheers for you, my friend. High-five. Let’s celebrate.

I want to rejoice, rejoice, rejoice with you. I want to rejoice, rejoice, like good friends do. So when God brings you blessings, I'll be smiling through and through. Yahoo! I want to rejoice. I want to rejoice, rejoice, rejoice with you. I want to rejoice, rejoice, like good friends do. So when God brings you blessings, I'll be smiling through and through. Yahoo! I want to rejoice with you. I want to rejoice with you. It's true, I want to rejoice with you. Five, four, three, two, one. Rejoice. Five, four, three, two, one. Rejoice. Five, four, three, two, one. Rejoice.

Insight for Living: To order a copy of today's program, CJ Prospers, just log on to pawsandtails.org. CJ Prospers was written and directed by David Carl. The song Rejoice with You was written by Sandy Howell and Mark Edward Lewis. Music was by Tim Hosman and our sound designer was Eric Basil. Paws & Tales is an Insight for Living production.