Paws & Tales

Ned: Hey, Stace. Up here. Read this really quick for me.

Stacy: Where’s Dave?

Ned: Oh, he’s busy. So read this really quick. Roll, Joel.

Stacy: Hey, everyone, Stacy here from Paws & Tales. I’m here to tell you about how fun it is to work with Ned while recording Paws & Tales. What is this?

Ned: It’s a commercial spot, a new one. Keep going, quick.

Stacy: It is such an honor to work with a pro like Ned because this seems less about Paws & Tales and more about you.

Ned: It’s a new direction we’re trying.

Stacy: I love to be a part of Paws & Tales because we tell families about how much God loves them. And who does not need to be reminded about that?

Ned: Wait, that’s not on the script.

Dave: Hey, guys. Sorry I’m late. Here are the scripts.

Stacy: Oh, Ned’s been writing some copies of his own. Pretty interesting.

Dave: Ned, really?

Ned: The moment has passed. It won’t work now. Never mind, Dave. Never mind. Joel, stop tape.

Joel: I never started, Ned.

Ned: I can’t work like that.

Insight for Living: Welcome to the world of Paws & Tales. Wild Mountain can be a pretty dangerous place. If you stay on the trails and stick with me, there's adventure to be had there, too.

Howdy and welcome to Wildwood. It’s a mighty cold Saturday outside, but it is toasty and warm inside the fix-it shop. Papa Chuck is working away on an old chair. It really is less of a chair and more of a gathering of chair parts that are broken, paint-peeled, and really just a big old mess. It’s a perfect project for the fix-it shop.

As is often the case, the club is also snuggled into the comfy woodshop. They, on the other hand, are working hard creating a mess. When you need to get creative, there is just nothing better than the smell of fresh-cut lumber and some smoke sneaking out of a wood-burning stove. Today, there’s plenty of both in the shop. Ned is busy chipping the bark off an old oak branch with the claw of a broken hammer he found, and occasionally with his beaver teeth.

Ned: Oak is so amazing and tasty, too.

Stacy: That is disgusting, Ned. Stop it.

Insight for Living: CJ is painting a "Keep Out" sign on a broken board he got out back of the shop. Truth be told, there’s more paint on CJ than on the sign. Gooz is making a necklace out of macaroni noodles she painted yesterday. Marsha and Stacy, well, they’re busy drawing unicorns on a mostly used-up roll of butcher paper.

Ned: Interesting sign there, CJ.

CJ: I know. I think this sign will be a show of strength. We’ve needed something like this for a long time. It’s perfect. When people see this "Keep Out" sign, they will know they had better not just walk into the clubhouse unannounced. This will show that we are a club to be respected.

Ned: I can only imagine how respect for the club will grow when everyone comes to read your sign that says, "Keep Ot."

CJ: What? "Keep Ot"?

Gooz: What’s an "ot"?

Stacy: An "ot" is nothing, Gooz. He forgot the letter U.

CJ: I forgot the U. Sure, I see it now. I can just start over on the other side.

Insight for Living: What do you all think of this wood slab I just got?

Marsha: It’s ginormously big.

Insight for Living: It’s almost eight feet long. It weighs a ton or two, or maybe three.

Ned: It’s very interesting. What happened to it?

Insight for Living: Let me turn it into the light.

Stacy: The wood grain is so different.

Gooz: It’s so beautiful. I love it.

Ned: So what happened to it? It’s all squiggly and weird. I like straight wood grain.

Stacy: I hate to agree with Ned, but I guess I like straight wood grain, too. Straight wood grain is so calming and so very straight.

CJ: Stop saying things before I do, Ned. It’s infuriating.

Ned: I understand completely. So what happened to the wood? Again, I ask, why is it so squiggly?

Gooz: It looks like a box of crayons melted on my mom’s cookie sheet when someone left it on the stove by mistake. All swirly and wild and so very interesting. So what happened?

Insight for Living: The big answer is that God made it like that.

Ned: So she gets an answer, but good old Ned? No.

Insight for Living: Some amazing forces came into this tree. Maybe storms or another tree fell on it, and it had to grow around it. Hard to tell.

Gooz: It was God, guys. God just made it this way on purpose. Oh, I love it. What do you make out of it?

Insight for Living: Well, it’s so big and wild and different.

Ned: And so squiggly.

CJ: Ned, that is so rude.

Insight for Living: It’s so wild and different, I just don’t know yet. It feels like an invitation from God.

Ned: I don’t mean to be contrary.

CJ: Of course you do. It’s one of your annoying strengths.

Ned: Thank you. Wait a minute. What I was saying is that it’s just weird wood, Papa Chuck. What invitation are you talking about?

Insight for Living: Good question, Ned. Everything that comes to an apprentice of Jesus like me.

Gooz: And me.

Insight for Living: And you all. Everything that has come to us has been allowed by God. Good stuff.

Gooz: Good stuff is my favorite kind of stuff.

Insight for Living: As well as the bad stuff, the hard stuff. It’s all been allowed to come through so we can move closer to God and His love. The good stuff feels better.

Gooz: Remember, my favorite.

Insight for Living: But the hard stuff really gets our attention. God wants us in His arms, and everything that He allows in is an invitation to get wrapped up in His love.

Stacy: CJ, you missed a spot with the paint.

CJ: What? Where?

Stacy: There’s a small spot on your arm that does not have paint on it. Thought you’d want to know.

CJ: Thanks, Stace.

Insight for Living: Every Monday morning, Miss Haber has the kids share some bit of excitement they had over the weekend. She calls it Share and Tell.

Stacy: You’re going down today. I have the best news.

Ned: Oh, Mickey, I can assure you that you do not have the best news. I have the best news.

Guest (Male): You have the best news.

Ned: Well, not me. Socially, we, you, you better just back out now. I’ve just gotta back out now.

Guest (Male): Mm-hmm.

Miss Haber: All right, class, settle, please. I have such good news.

Guest (Female): She really does.

Miss Haber: Class, I have some bad news. I spoke with Mayor Boggs and Pastor Flint earlier this morning. They both informed me that the old church building has officially been condemned. Termites have done such extensive damage that it is not safe for anyone to go in there. They will have to knock it down completely.

Guest (Female): Oh, no. They can’t do that. We have to stop them.

Beth: Hi, I’m Beth from Frisco, Texas. My favorite Paws & Tales character is Gooz because she is so silly. Wait till you hear what happens next on today’s episode.

Ned: Welcome, everyone. Ned the Beaver here, beloved star of Paws & Tales. We have some parents with me today that would love to tell you what they think about the fun, the biblical teaching, and the music of Paws & Tales. Go right ahead, sir.

Guest (Male): I love that some of the episodes are telling the biblical story. My kids totally know the story of Esther now because of Paws & Tales.

Ned: I love that. Now, don’t miss an episode of Paws & Tales right here on this amazing station.

Insight for Living: While Stacy was having a good old-fashioned meltdown in school, there was excitement of another kind going across town in the office of Mr. Rockler, the richest man in Wildwood.

Mr. Rockler: Splendid. Next agenda item, Mayor Boggs.

Mayor Boggs: Ah, yes. The new Rockler Enterprises Incorporated building is virtually complete. All is in place for the grand opening in two weeks. Just a few things left to do.

Mr. Rockler: Splendid, which brings us to the building you will be moving out of. I have a few thoughts about how we can repurpose it.

Insight for Living: Some time back, Mr. Rockler moved into town and bought the old coal mine that had played out decades ago. No one had any idea why a smart, rich man would want an old shut-down coal mine that had no coal in it until he announced his plans to dig a tunnel all the way through the base of Wild Mountain. This would make the train trip go from three days to get around it to about half an hour to get through it. This was going to make Wildwood a perfect place for ships to dock, load their cargo on a train, and ship it to the whole coast faster and cheaper than ever before. It was an amazing plan that was going to put the sleepy town of Wildwood on the map, as they say.

Mayor Boggs: It is such a good structure with all the improvements you’ve made to it since your arrival.

Yusef: Mr. Rockler, Mr. Rockler, everyone leave the room.

Mayor Boggs: Mr. Yusef, we were discussing—

Yusef: Now.

Mayor Boggs: Yes, sir. Good day, Mr. Rockler.

Mr. Rockler: What is this all about, Yusef?

Yusef: That mountain is killing us. We are months behind in our tunneling projections. The rock bed is destroying our drilling equipment. In summary, we are ruined. Our cash reserves are exhausted. Our investors will not give us another dime, and that mountain is against us in every way.

Mr. Rockler: I knew it was bad, but this?

Yusef: I suggest we gather our things and leave late tomorrow night. I can have your private train car ready for departure by 2:00 in the morning. We must relocate at once. When they discover the truth, the town will be furious. We will justifiably be thrown into jail.

Mr. Rockler: Oh, Yusef, the town will never recover from this. Of course, you’re right. We’ll leave tomorrow night.

Insight for Living: High up in the darkest part of Wild Mountain is a cave that smells of sulfur and decay. Animals stay far away from it because it is the home of a third-rate failure of a demon named Minion. His faceless, shapeless form was assigned to this remote part of the country some years ago as a punishment. He’s been working hard at lying to anyone foolish enough to listen to him. One of his many deceived assistants is Timothy Owl.

Timothy Owl: I have news of our success, of your darkness, sir.

Insight for Living: Timothy has some time ago chosen to believe Minion, who lies constantly to others. Strange how some cannot see what is right in front of them, plain and simple. Minion has others, too, who work for him, and all of them wear the strange amulet around their neck. Minion has told them it gives them power and protection, but anything promised from a lying spirit is more than likely just another lie.

Minion: Report your findings.

Timothy Owl: Timothy Owl reporting for duty. Got myself a lovely little hiding spot here where I can listen in to everything Mr. Rockler says. Pretty clever of me, if I do say so myself.

Minion: Report on the tunnel.

Timothy Owl: Oh, sorry, ever so sorry. Everything is really starting to come apart down there. They have plans to leave town tomorrow in the darkness of night. The town will be ruined. Wildwood has bet everything on Rockler and this tunnel, believed every lie he told them. I’d say we have about 48 hours before it all goes kaput. And if it does all go, you know, kaput, you will still keep up your part of the bargain?

Minion: Nothing will go wrong. You will continue to report on their progress without help from the dark. I need an answer to my request.

Timothy Owl: This is a good plan, Mr. Minion. Sir Minion. I say totally silent.

Minion: No longer we wait. It’s almost here, but I need permission to unleash devastation, or we will lose this whole mountain to God and His angels.

Timothy Owl: I’ve got my fingers crossed, sir, hoping for your devastation. Sounds exciting. I mean for you, not so much for the town.

Minion: Silence! Be silent. Totally quiet now.

Liam: Hi, I’m Liam from Colorado. One of the many reasons I love Paws & Tales is Ned the Beaver. He just cracks me up.

Stacy: Hey, everyone, Stacy here from Paws & Tales. We’ve had kids from all over the country send in their announcer recordings, and they are heard every day on the program. But we haven’t heard one from you. Just head on over to pawsandtales.org and pop into the clubhouse to get one of the announcer scripts. Record yourself on your parent’s phone and send it in to us so we can get your voice heard around the world. That’s pawsandtales.org. This is so exciting.

Insight for Living: Well, a good portion of the town is gathered out in front of Stacy’s house, just waiting for the good news from Doc Lowe. In a small town like Wildwood, the arrival of a new baby is about as exciting as things can get.

Stacy: This is so exciting. I can’t stand it.

Ned: I feel like I should have brought a gift. Mom says you should always bring a gift to a baby shower.

Gooz: This isn’t a baby shower, Ned. It’s a baby, hello party. Everyone knows you don’t bring a gift to a baby hello party.

Ned: Is that true?

Gooz: Ned, you don’t think I know what I’m talking about?

Ned: Is that true, Miss Haber?

Miss Haber: Snack, Ned. Everyone knows you bring snacks to a baby hello party.

Ned: I don’t think that’s right.

Stacy: Someone’s coming to the door.

Ned: Hey, guys. Nothing’s happened yet. Doc Lowe says any time now.

Guest (Male): I have deliveries of my own to make before I’m done today. Can you tell your mom to put a rush on her delivery?

Stacy: What? Something’s happening. I’ll be right back.

Ned: I say it’s a boy.

Gooz: You are so wrong. It’s a girl for certain.

Ned: Well, being certain doesn’t mean you’re right. It just means you’re convinced you are right, but you could still be very wrong.

Gooz: Ned, I am certain that that is the most annoying thing that I have ever heard.

Insight for Living: Well, as is often the case, these "most important things in the world" kinds of things often take longer than we’d like. After another hour or so, Doc Lowe himself came out front.

Doc Lowe: Well, it’s a boy. Finally. I’ve gotta go on my own deliveries. See y’all. Gotta go.

Stacy: How is mother and baby?

Doc Lowe: Well, there is some news on that front. Mother and baby are doing fine. The baby boy.

CJ: It’s a boy. It’s a boy. Hey, guess what, Marsha? It’s a boy.

Insight for Living: That’s enough, CJ. Keep going, Doc.

Doc Lowe: The baby is different than we expected. He is fine, but he has a condition called Down syndrome.

Stacy: Doc, what does that mean? Can he get over that? What’s the matter? Something’s wrong.

Doc Lowe: Come here, guys. No, no, he will not get over it. He will have this the rest of his life. He looks a little different. He will also not be the same as other kids his age. We will have to wait and see, but often a child with Down syndrome is delayed. Sometimes they stay young mentally, rather childlike all their lives, and sometimes they’re fairly typical. The family is trying to take in this news. It’s not what they expected. But God is good. It’ll be hard. There are challenges for a child with Down syndrome. They experience life differently. The family’s going to love this boy to bits, and he is going to love them right back. Well, I’ve gotta get back in there. Pray for them all. This is a hard thing.

Marsha: This is so sad.

Insight for Living: Come here, Marsha. This is not what any of us were expecting. But God is good, and there is an invitation in this somewhere. May have to look pretty hard for it, but—

Stacy: Thank you all for coming. My brother Jonathan, he’s doing fine, and so is my mom.

Ned: Are you all right, Stace?

Stacy: I think so. It’s so happy and sad all at the same time. I don’t know what to think. I don’t know what to think.

Insight for Living: Mr. Rockler has a whole crew of folks scurrying around, packing and moving stuff around. Timothy Owl is in his secret hiding spot just outside of Mr. Rockler’s office. From there, he can see most things, and he can hear absolutely everything.

Timothy Owl: Oh, boy. The abandoning of Wildwood has really begun. It has begun indeed.

Guest (Male): Mr. Rockler, do you have a preference on the grandfather clock? I can have them seal it up in a crate or just leave it for now.

Mr. Rockler: I love that old clock. How long to have it crated?

Guest (Male): I can put it on the list, and it will be day after tomorrow.

Mr. Rockler: Oh, never mind. Just leave it. I really am on a very tight schedule.

Yusef: Mr. Rockler, Mr. Rockler, come quickly. Tell him. Mr. Rockler, we have a new development.

Mr. Rockler: What is it, Yusef?

Yusef: This is McDowell, the assayer for Wildwood.

McDowell: It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Mr. Rockler.

Mr. Rockler: Yes, yes. What is it?

McDowell: Well, it couldn’t be of any higher quality, sir. An amazing find. I think it might be the mother lode.

Mr. Rockler: I’m losing patience here. I have a train to catch. What are you talking about?

Yusef: You didn’t tell him.

McDowell: I did not know until you told me.

Yusef: Mr. Rockler, they found gold in the deepest part of the tunnel. It appears to be a large vein. It’s gold. We struck gold.

McDowell: And of a very pure quality. I’d say you struck it rich, Mr. Rockler. This is going to change everything in Wildwood. We’re all going to be rich.

Timothy Owl: Oh, goodness gracious. It was approved. The devastation has begun.

Insight for Living: Back in the fix-it shop, Papa Chuck and the club, except for Stacy, are all sitting around and mostly just staring at their shoes.

CJ: But God can do anything, stop anything from happening. Why would He let this happen?

Insight for Living: It’s a good question, CJ.

Gooz: Maybe God will heal Jonathan.

Ned: Yeah, God could do that.

Insight for Living: Yes, He can. I don’t think He will, though. This isn’t a mistake, guys. God did not turn His back for a moment and then this happened. I think God wanted Jonathan to have Down syndrome. It’s simply who God made him to be.

Ned: But this is going to be hard on the family forever.

Insight for Living: It will.

Ned: When he’s a full-grown bear and maybe still think like a kid? How is that fair?

Insight for Living: I don’t know, Ned. All I know is that this is somehow a very hard and difficult invitation from God. Nana Cindy, hot chocolate, just what we need right now.

Nana Cindy: Hey, everyone. I just thought this was a kind of day that needs some hot chocolate. Anyone agree?

Ned: I could use some.

Marsha: Me, too. Nana Cindy, I am just so sad, and I’m not sure what to do.

Nana Cindy: Oh, I know, sweet girl. It’s because you have a good heart. When our friends are sad, it’s just proper for us to be sad, too.

Ned: I hate being sad. I hate being sad for me, and I especially hate being sad for Stacy. What good does it do?

Nana Cindy: Well, this being sad is serious business. There is going to be quite a bit more of it in the future, too.

Ned: Well, that’s encouraging.

Nana Cindy: Because there is more ahead for us all, it would be smart to not be afraid of it. It would be a brilliant idea to get better at being sad at times. Then when it happens, we can step into it and take care of those we love instead of just running away and pretending it isn’t there. Stacy and her folks could use some love about now.

Ned: You know, she’s kind of something.

Insight for Living: I agree. I married her precisely because she is really something.

Stacy: Hey, guys.

Ned: Stacy. How are you doing? Did you know that Nana Cindy is really something?

Stacy: I did.

Nana Cindy: Oh, come here, sweet girl. How are you all doing?

Stacy: Okay. So far, Jonathan is a typical baby boy who cries and messes his diapers.

Ned: Oh, that’s gross.

Stacy: So cute. I was rocking him and he grabbed my hand and started sucking on my finger.

Ned: That is so adorable. I want to rock him, too.

Insight for Living: How are your folks doing?

Stacy: Pretty good. It’s not what we expected, but he’s ours and we love him.

Insight for Living: Well, Sunday came, and the Clemers, Stacy and her folks, came proud as peacocks to church with little Jonathan dressed up in the finest baby fluffer you ever did see.

Pastor: Would the Clemer family please come on up and show off this little package. What a little angel. You can fuss over him later. Leave him alone and let them up here. Mr. and Mrs. Clemer, tell us about this new little miracle.

Stacy’s Mother: Well, he is just doing fine.

Stacy’s Father: He eats all the time.

Stacy’s Mother: And our little Jonathan has Down syndrome. He is a little different from other babies. He may not ever be able to be on his own, even when he grows up.

Guest (Male): He’s not just your baby now. He’s our boy, too. I’m going to teach him how to fish.

Guest (Male): Yeah, but I’ve seen you fish, Norm, and you can’t catch a cold. I want Jonathan to actually bring home some trout one day.

Insight for Living: You see, we all will be there for you and for Jonathan. This is an invitation from God, and we are all grateful for it. Welcome to Wildwood, Jonathan. Welcome home.

Insight for Living: When you’re down and you need a friend, don’t forget God is by your side. And He’s invited us to lean on Him. His arms are always open wide. So don’t you worry when things get tough. Don’t worry if you’ll sink or swim. But in each circumstance, make the most of the chance to get a little closer to Him.

Because if God is for us, who can be against us? We don’t have to fear or give up. So when the sky is falling, hear the Spirit calling you closer to your Father above. Yeah, every situation is an invitation to love.

It doesn’t come in an envelope with requests to RSVP, but its message wrapped up in hope that’s addressed to you and me. Yeah, God invites you to a brighter day when you think the sun will never shine. And there’s no save the date, so you don’t have to wait. You can run into His arms anytime.

Because if God is for us, who can be against us? We don’t have to fear or give up. So when the sky is falling, hear the Spirit calling you closer to your Father above. Yeah, every situation is an invitation to love. The Lord with all your heart gives thanks and everything. And He will lead you through the dark and make you want to sing.

Because if God is for us, who can be against us? We don’t have to fear or give up. So when the sky is falling, hear the Spirit calling you closer to your Father above. Yeah, if God is for us, who can be against us? We don’t have to fear or give up. So when the sky is falling, hear the Spirit calling you closer to your Father above. Yeah, every situation is an invitation to love.

To order a copy of today’s program, "Everything Is an Invitation," just visit us online at pawsandtales.org. "Everything Is an Invitation" was written and directed by Dave Carl. The song, "Invitation to Love," was written by Sandy Howell and Nick Brown. Music was by Tim Hosman, and our sound designer was Eric Basel. Paws & Tales is an Insight for Living Ministries production.