Paws & Tales

Ned the Beaver: Hello, everyone. Ned the Beaver here for Paws and Tales. Oh, we have such good news to tell you.

Tiffany Rockler: What are you doing in here, Ned?

Ned the Beaver: Tiffany, what Why are you

Tiffany Rockler: I just heard that Dave Carl has written the first Paws and Tales book. Am I correct?

Ned the Beaver: Yes. I I mean, only if you want that to be true. Of course it's true. What Why are you here?

Tiffany Rockler: I am here to promote the book, of course.

Ned the Beaver: Really? You want to help?

Tiffany Rockler: Of course. I want everyone to read this book and learn about repentance and about the mean old vulture that tries to get Stacy mad at the club and how Crocket and Smidge take care of the men they call the Shovels. What could be better than all of that?

Ned the Beaver: Wow, color me surprised. I didn't think you would be interested in this.

Tiffany Rockler: Ned Cleaver, I am nothing if not a team player.

Ned the Beaver: Not exactly how I would describe you.

Tiffany Rockler: So, if all you listeners can hear me now, I want you to all go out and get your own copy of the Overcomers, the very first Paws and Tales book ever.

Ned the Beaver: Amazing, Tiffany. I just did not expect

Tiffany Rockler: I'm buying 100 copies myself, so the very least you could do is get one.

Ned the Beaver: Oh, okay. We We We try not to be mean to the audience. Thank you for stopping by, Tiffany Rockler, on behalf of the very first Paws and Tales book ever, the Overcomers.

Tiffany Rockler: Go right now to pawsandtails.org and buy it now.

Ned the Beaver: Kind of mean right there. Um, let's stop the tape. I don't feel safe. Stop the tape, Joel.

Tiffany Rockler: We will stop the tape when I say stop tape.

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

Stacy: Come on, CJ, jump.

C.J.: It's too far.

Stacy: It wasn't too far for me.

Host (Insight for Living): Insight for Living is proud to present Paws and Tales. This afternoon finds our friends at the Collins mansion. And though they're trying their best to be calm and use quiet indoor voices, well, let's just say it ain't quite working out that way. Truth is the whole gang's about to bust wide open with excitement because tomorrow is their big camping trip with Papa Chuck. Mrs. Collins was nice enough to let them borrow some of Mr. Collins' old camping equipment. The trouble is no one remembered to ask where he kept it. So, the kids are on the hunt, each one just a zigging and a zagging all over the house.

Stinky: Where would he keep camping stuff? In the garage. Camping stuff belongs in the garage.

Missy: Let's look in this room first.

Stinky: No, let's start in the garage.

Ned the Beaver: Let's start in the cellar. Everybody knows camping stuff goes in the cellar.

Missy: Let's see what's up these stairs.

Ned the Beaver: Let's all drive very very hot. I'll to never do that again.

Host (Insight for Living): For those of you who haven't visited the Collins mansion before, well, it's a pretty overwhelming place. It was built by James T. Collins, the wealthiest man to ever live in Wildwood. Before he passed away some 10 years ago, he traveled the world, bringing back unusual items and historical artifacts from every corner of the globe. And for every place he'd go to, he had another room built onto the mansion to hold all of his findings. Now, it would take someone just short of a lifetime to discover everything he collected. So, with all those rooms, it's the ideal place for the club to play.

You just never know what you're going to find. The trouble is when you know what you need to find, well, it can be a bit of a challenge actually finding it.

Ned the Beaver: Wow, look in here. What are you supposed this was used for? A weapon?

Stacy: Probably not a weapon. It's a mop, Goose.

Ned the Beaver: So it is. So it is.

Stacy: Now get out of the closet and let's find the camping stuff. All right, everyone, listen up. We've got a lot to do and not much time to do it, so we have to work together like a well-oiled machine. Agreed?

C.J.: Agreed.

Stacy: All right. Let's look in this room first. Stacy, let's start in the garage.

C.J.: Let's see what's up these stairs.

Ned the Beaver: Let's start in the cellar. Camping stuff goes in the cellar. Perhaps I didn't mention this before, but let's all try very very hard to never do that again.

Wally Wicket: Is everyone all right?

Ned the Beaver: Oh, hi. Are you Wally?

Wally Wicket: Yes, Wally Wicket. How did you know?

Ned the Beaver: Mrs. Collins told us you were coming today.

Wally Wicket: Well, how good of her.

Ned the Beaver: Hi, Wally.

Stacy: How are you?

Ned the Beaver: Welcome, Wally Wicket. What brings you west?

Stacy: She told us, but I didn't understand. What does your dad do?

Wally Wicket: Oh, yes. He's a paleontologist.

Ned the Beaver: Well, if she'd explained it like that, we would have all gotten it.

Missy: He's kidding. What does one of those guys do exactly?

Wally Wicket: Largely dig up old bones and learn from them.

Ned the Beaver: Well, Wally Wicket, we're really wondering what would make a traveler of the wild world want to wind up in Wildwood.

Stacy: Are you finished?

Ned the Beaver: Well, I'm wondering what

Papa Chuck: So, what brings you here?

Wally Wicket: My father is here doing research for a book he's writing.

Missy: Oh, how exciting.

Stacy: What kind of research?

Wally Wicket: Years ago, my father went on an expedition with Mr. Collins, and now he's come to look for some of the fossils they dug up together.

Ned the Beaver: In this place that could take a while.

Wally Wicket: We're here for the weekend.

Stacy: Hey, we're going camping tomorrow with Papa Chuck. If your dad says it's okay, you want to go with us?

Wally Wicket: Well, I wouldn't want to impose.

Stacy: Come on, it'll be great. We're going to hike and fish and

Ned the Beaver: And eat chocolate. We would really like if Wally Wicket would walk with us and wind up in Wild Mountain, which is way west of where we are.

Wally Wicket: It does sound like great fun. I'll go ask my father.

Host (Insight for Living): And so it was all arranged for Wally to join his new friends in their big camping adventure. So, the next morning, bright and early

Papa Chuck: Okay, now, has everyone double checked to make sure that they have all their supplies?

Stacy: Yep.

Ned the Beaver: Yes, sir.

Wally Wicket: Yep.

Papa Chuck: But let's pray before we go. Dear Lord, thanks for this beautiful day. We thank you for giving us healthy bodies to hike with. We ask that you watch over us and grant us safety as we go out to explore the amazing wilderness that you've created. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Wally Wicket: Amen.

Papa Chuck: All right then, troops, strap on your backpacks. We're on our way.

Ned the Beaver: All right.

Stacy: Let's go.

Wally Wicket: Let's go.

C.J.: Yeah.

Missy: Hm, would you just smell those flowers?

Ned the Beaver: This is a perfect day, just perfect.

Stacy: Hey, you slowpokes, bet you can't keep up with me.

C.J.: Stacy, the whole point of hiking is to enjoy the scenery. How can you enjoy it if you're racing past it?

Stacy: You know, CJ, maybe you're right. Let me think about this for a second.

C.J.: Nope, you're wrong. And you're a big old slowpoke.

Papa Chuck: Stacy, you do need to stay with the group.

Stacy: Aw, but they're going so slow.

Papa Chuck: Just remember, kids, Wild Mountain can be a pretty dangerous place, but if you stay on the trails and stick with me, there's adventures to be had here, too.

Missy: It's hard to believe any place this beautiful could actually be dangerous.

Ned the Beaver: Well, I believe it cuz I feel a very dangerous attack of hay fever coming on. Did anybody bring a tissue?

Stacy: Nope.

C.J.: Sorry.

Wally Wicket: Sorry.

Papa Chuck: Just um use a leaf or something.

Ned the Beaver: A tissue paper?

Stacy: When you're roughing it like we are, you got to improvise. So, Wally, what do you think of Wild Mountain?

Wally Wicket: It's quite spectacular.

Stacy: Something the matter?

Wally Wicket: Oh, nothing's wrong. It's just

Stacy: Just what?

Wally Wicket: Well, before we began, you all close your eyes and pray.

Stacy: Yeah?

Wally Wicket: It seemed a little Oh, I don't know. Odd.

Stacy: Odd? Don't you pray?

Wally Wicket: No, we don't.

Stacy: How do you talk to God?

Wally Wicket: We don't believe there is such a thing as God.

Stacy: No God? Why would you think that?

Wally Wicket: My father says that we can only believe in things we can prove with scientific evidence. Have you ever seen this God you pray to?

Stacy: Well, no. God's a spirit. No one can see him.

Wally Wicket: If you can't see him, how can you be at all certain he exists?

Stacy: Because he he just does. It's in the Bible. He He just does. Everyone knows that.

Wally Wicket: If God were real, why wouldn't he just show himself to us? Believing in something you can't see doesn't make any sense.

Stacy: We'll ask Papa Chuck. He'll know the answer.

Wally Wicket: How can anyone know for sure that God exists if we can't see him?

Host (Insight for Living): Now, about that same time, Stacy was headed for trouble of a different sort.

Ned the Beaver: Stacy, we're getting ahead of the group. I'm I'm going to slow down.

Stacy: That's probably a good idea. You go ahead and do that, slowpoke.

Ned the Beaver: But Papa Chuck said to stay with the group.

Stacy: But those guys are going so slow. It's like hiking with a bunch of slugs. Papa Chuck won't mind if I go ahead a little bit.

Ned the Beaver: Go ahead if you want, but I'm going to wait here for the others to catch up.

Stacy: Fine. I'll send you a postcard when I get there. Let's see. How do I address that? Oh, that's right, to Mr. Slowpoke. I can't even see her. Stacy. Stacy. Stacy. Oh, brother, do I go left or right? I'm going to have to wait for the slowpokes. Help, Papa Chuck. Help.

Guest (Male): Hi, I'm Kyle from North Carolina. One of the many reasons I love listening to Paws and Tales is because Ned the Beaver, he just cracks me up.

Stacy: I'm here today with author Dave Carl. I understand you have written the very first Paws and Tales book entitled The Overcomers.

Dave Carl: That's right, Stacy.

Stacy: So, is The Overcomers something very different or is it a continuation of the big Paws and Tales story?

Dave Carl: Good question, Stacy. It absolutely is a continuation of the big Paws and Tales story. The Overcomers is like one giant Paws and Tales episode. I am excited for folks to see what comes next.

Stacy: Get your copy today at pawsandtails.org.

Stacy: Help, Papa Chuck. Help.

Ned the Beaver: Stacy, I'm coming.

Papa Chuck: Stacy, are you all right?

Stacy: It's a grizzly, a great big angry grizzly just around the corner. He was huge.

Papa Chuck: You kids wait here and stay close. I am going up ahead to have a look. Nobody move till I get back.

Wally Wicket: I don't understand why we can't simply talk this over with the other grizzly and find out what he's so upset about.

Stacy: If we were back in Wildwood, that might work, but this is the wilderness, Wally. The rules are different out here.

Ned the Beaver: There he is. Papa Chuck, did you find him?

Papa Chuck: Come on ahead, troops. It's all clear.

Stacy: Did you find the grizzly?

Papa Chuck: No, he's gone.

Missy: Do you think he wanted to hurt us?

Papa Chuck: I expect not. But I am glad we didn't have to find out. I hope this serves as a reminder to all of you. Stay close to me.

Stacy: Sorry.

Papa Chuck: Now let's keep moving. We want to reach our campsite while there's still plenty of daylight left.

Stacy: Please tell me we not hiking all the way to the top of Wild Mountain. That would take days. We're just going to Precipice Lake.

Ned the Beaver: It's a lake where the fish are big and hungry.

Missy: It's about the most beautiful place on Earth.

Ned the Beaver: Just hope It doesn't have a lot of flowers because my nose sure could use a

Papa Chuck: Arrest?

Ned the Beaver: Bingo. Help. I think I just sneezed up a lung.

Stacy: Wow, guys, look.

Missy: We're here. Oh, oh, look at the lake.

Stacy: Wow, turn around. You can see all the way to Wildwood.

Ned the Beaver: Oh, look, a ship leaving the bay.

Missy: The ocean looks like it just keeps going forever and ever.

Stacy: Papa Chuck, what's over there?

Papa Chuck: That is Shadow Valley.

Stacy: It looks kind of scary. Can we go there?

Papa Chuck: No, CJ. The creatures of Shadow Valley have turned their backs on God. They're wild. And they only live by their animal instincts.

Stacy: Have Have you ever been there, Papa Chuck?

Papa Chuck: Yes, I I have.

Ned the Beaver: Is he okay? I've never seen him like this. Is he sad or scared?

Stacy: Uh, can we go swimming now?

Papa Chuck: Well, um, first we have some work to do. When you're in the wilderness, it's important that you make sure your basic needs are taken care of before nightfall. Who knows what the basic needs are?

Stacy: A place to sleep.

Papa Chuck: Yep. Shelter is definitely one of the basic needs, so we'll start by setting up our tents.

Wally Wicket: We'll need to build a fire.

Papa Chuck: Good, Wally. Let's start gathering firewood. Any other basic needs?

Ned the Beaver: Chocolate.

Papa Chuck: I'm not sure chocolate actually counts as one of the basic needs.

Ned the Beaver: Well, that's entirely a matter of opinion.

Papa Chuck: But we do need food. Somebody will have to go catch some trout from the lake.

Stacy: Yeah, they're mine.

Papa Chuck: All right. First the tents, firewood, and then the fishing poles. Let's get to work.

Stacy: Yeah.

Host (Insight for Living): And before they knew it, the tents were up, the wood was gathered, and the fish were biting.

Stacy: Look, I caught another one.

Ned the Beaver: Me too. And I'm bigger than yours, Goose.

Stacy: That's a log.

Ned the Beaver: Technically yes, but it's still bigger than yours.

Host (Insight for Living): All afternoon the kids swam and explored and generally had about as much fun as they'd ever had. When the sun finally went down, Papa Chuck started the campfire and fried up the fish in a big iron skillet.

Stacy: I am stuffed. I can eat another thing.

Papa Chuck: Anyone want some s'mores?

Ned the Beaver: Is this a trick question?

Stacy: S'mores, yes.

C.J.: This is what I came for.

Stacy: What exactly is a s'more?

Ned the Beaver: It's chocolate, the most important part, marshmallows and graham crackers.

Stacy: S'mores are my favorite part of camping.

Ned the Beaver: That's because chocolate is a basic need and the most important of the four food groups

Stacy: Goose, what on Earth is the matter with your nose?

Ned the Beaver: I've got allergies.

Stacy: But it's all big and red and bumpy.

Ned the Beaver: Fido, it's making me crazy. It It just real bad.

Papa Chuck: Goose, those leaves you are blowing your nose on, what kind were they?

Ned the Beaver: Why I don't know. Just leaves, kind of green and shiny.

Papa Chuck: Did they have groups of three leaves at the end of each stem?

Ned the Beaver: Yeah, I think they did.

Papa Chuck: That's poison oak. Don't you remember the saying I taught you? Leaves of three, let it be.

Ned the Beaver: Well, of course I remember the saying. Now that my nose is all itchy.

Papa Chuck: Well, whatever you do, don't scratch it. It'll only make it worse.

Ned the Beaver: Okay. Don't scratch your nose. Don't scratch your nose. Do not scratch your nose. Oh, whoops, I just scratched my nose.

Stacy: Papa Chuck, can I ask him, Wally?

Wally Wicket: Please do.

Stacy: Wally doesn't believe in God cuz he can't see him.

Wally Wicket: My father is a scientist, and he says that you have to be able to prove things are true. You can't just believe in them.

Papa Chuck: Well, lots of folks see it like that.

Wally Wicket: Well, I do.

Papa Chuck: There's a lot of things that are true, but you can't hold them in your hand.

Wally Wicket: Like what, for instance?

Papa Chuck: Love. Do you love your father?

Wally Wicket: Certainly.

Papa Chuck: Well, show it to me. Can you hold love in your hand?

Wally Wicket: Well, no.

Papa Chuck: There's a lot of things like that. Some things just can't be touched or proven. Doesn't make them any less true.

Host (Insight for Living): They sat around the campfire eating s'mores, counting shooting stars, and telling stories till they couldn't keep their eyes open any longer. Then they all crawled into their tents and went to sleep, which would have been the perfect ending to a perfect day, except a few hours later the wind began to blow. And it just kept on blowing harder and harder until finally

Stacy: What was that? Oh, the wind is starting to blow down the trees.

Papa Chuck: Everyone out of the tents.

Stacy: I'm scared. Papa Chuck, what do we do?

Papa Chuck: We're going to have to try and find cover from Where's CJ?

Stacy: He's back in the tents.

Ned the Beaver: He can't find one of his shoes.

Papa Chuck: All right, let's go back and get him.

Stacy: It's falling on the tents. CJ, get out of there.

Ned the Beaver: CJ.

Guest (Male): Hi, my name is Zachary from New Jersey. My favorite Paws and Tales character is Ned cuz he is so funny. Wait till you hear what happens next on today's episode.

Tiffany Rockler: Hello, lovely listeners. Tiffany Rockler from Paws and Tales here to tell you all about the very new and very fashionable t-shirts now on sale in our store. We have a wonderful Tiffany Rockler shirt with lovely details.

Ned the Beaver: Now, Tiffany, that is not true.

Tiffany Rockler: Ned, what are you talking about?

Ned the Beaver: Well, we have new Goose t-shirts and Ned t-shirts. Just go online to pawsandtails.org to see them.

Tiffany Rockler: Wait, we have no Tiffany t-shirts?

Ned the Beaver: Oh boy, here it comes. Hi, everyone.

Tiffany Rockler: You all will rue the day.

Stinky: CJ.

Papa Chuck: CJ.

Stacy: This can't be happening.

Ned the Beaver: Somebody get me out of here.

Stinky: CJ.

Papa Chuck: CJ, are you all right?

Ned the Beaver: I can't get out.

Papa Chuck: Hang on. You okay?

Ned the Beaver: Yeah.

Papa Chuck: We've got to get out of this storm.

Ned the Beaver: But but where? There There's nothing but trees for miles.

Papa Chuck: Get close. Let's pray. Lord Jesus, we're in a bad spot here. We need your help.

Stacy: Papa Chuck.

Ned the Beaver: It's huge. It's a grizzly.

Papa Chuck: Stacy, get behind me. Elijah, is that you?

Host (Insight for Living): It is. We need shelter. Over here. Papa Chuck and the kids followed the grizzly along a narrow path until they finally came to the mouth of a cave. The kids huddled in the back, trying to keep warm, while Papa Chuck and the grizzly stood talking near the entrance.

Papa Chuck: Thanks again. You've been very kind.

Dave Carl: Not all would have done as I did. There are still many here who would take great pride in bringing down the great Goliath.

Elijah: I know. Is that what CJ Yes. Yes, he is. He'll be the next one, won't he? I think so. I'm working with him now. Good luck. Be wary and watch your back. I will. Thanks again.

Dave Carl: Goodbye, Goliath.

Elijah: How you kids doing?

Papa Chuck: Oh, wake up, everyone. Sun's up. Let's start back.

Ned the Beaver: That's a lot of damage.

Stacy: Who would have guessed the wind could do all this?

Papa Chuck: Wally, do you really believe the wind did all this?

Wally Wicket: What do you mean?

Papa Chuck: Did you actually see the wind?

Wally Wicket: Yes, it was blowing everything.

Papa Chuck: The wind is invisible. You can't see it. If you can't see the wind, how can you be so sure it exists?

Wally Wicket: The trees were flying around like twigs.

Papa Chuck: That's exactly right, Wally. And that's just how it is with God.

Stacy: Yeah, even though we can't see God, we can see what he does.

Wally Wicket: For instance

Stinky: Like this mountain and all the trees and well, everything. God made it all, including us.

Papa Chuck: Some people say all this just got here by mistake, and the whole Earth just kind of came together by accident. But you've seen what happens in accidents.

Ned the Beaver: Stuff get smashed and crunched and broken and it all falls apart.

Papa Chuck: Nature is a complex masterpiece of carefully designed parts, all working together in balance and harmony. That isn't the kind of thing that happens by accident. That's creation, God's creation. And it shows us just a tiny glimpse of his power.

Wally Wicket: Okay. I've got to give that some thought.

Papa Chuck: I think you should, Wally. It could be the most important thinking you'll ever do. Let's head back to camp. I want to get home and tell your folks you're all right.

Host (Insight for Living): And as the kids hike back down the mountain toward Wildwood, they had a new sense of appreciation for the nature that surrounded them. When the gang finally arrived back in Wildwood, they found their parents anxiously awaiting them outside Papa Chuck's shop. Wally ran up to his father and gave him a big hug.

Ned the Beaver: Well, I can see you're all right. What a sparkle in your eyes.

Missy: It was wonderful and scary and just great.

Stacy: Did you find what you were looking for?

Ned the Beaver: You know, I did find the fossils I wanted. However

Wally Wicket: What, father?

Ned the Beaver: Well, the more I studied them and the more I read Mr. Collins' notes and what the Bible has to say about the origins of the world, I I think there may be some evidence that I haven't considered.

Stacy: Yeah, me too.

Ned the Beaver: Thank you for your kindness, everyone. Our ship sails at noon. We must be off.

Stacy: Thank you for everything, especially the s'mores.

C.J.: See you, Wally.

Stacy: Father, did you know that the wind is invisible? How can anyone know for sure that God exists if we can't see him?

Dave Carl: Well, son, it's kind of like this. You can't see the wind blowing though you're looking everywhere, but those trees and leaves start going. And that's how you know it's there. And God is like the wind that can't be seen by anyone, but we know God is by the things he's done. Well, he set this world to spinning, and he made the deep blue sea. And he's the one that formed the sun that shines on you and me. There's a universe of reasons, but they all come down to one. We know God is by the things he's done.

Look at the birds that sing. Somebody gave them wings.

Papa Chuck: How about that porcupine?

Ned the Beaver: Oh, what a cool design.

Papa Chuck: Oysters pearls and flying squirrels, God made them by his word. Without him this wood never ever ever have a curse.

Dave Carl: Well, a watch must have a maker or it's just parts on a shelf. And a cake must have a baker. You wouldn't say it baked itself. All creations have creators. They don't simply just become. So we know God is by the things he's done.

Guest (Male): Hummingbirds, cactus, jellyfish, boy, he sure made a lot of stuff. I mean, what are the odds of all that happening by chance?

Stacy: Wait, I know. The odds of all this happening by chance are one in a million million million million million million million million million million million

C.J.: Goose. What's just go on?

Stinky: Look at the elephant.

Dave Carl: That was no accident. He made the fish that swim.

Stacy: It wasn't even hard for him.

Dave Carl: The man has made a thing or two of some complexity.

Tiffany Rockler: None of them is half as fearfully, wonderfully made as me.

Dave Carl: You're right, CJ. So yes, son, God's invisible. You can't see him with your eyes, but this great big world around us is a proof we can't deny. We're surrounded by his evidence. He's given us a tongue. We know God is

Papa Chuck: We know God is

Dave Carl: We know God is by the things he's done.

Ned the Beaver: million million million million million million million

Stacy: Goose, isn't there an easier way to say it?

Tiffany Rockler: Well, you could say it would take a miracle.

Host (Insight for Living): My point exactly. To order a copy of today's program, God with the Wind, call us at 1-866-968-PAWS. That's 1-866-968-PAWS. God with the Wind was written by Clark Corkum and directed by David Carl. We Know God Is was written by Sandy Howell and Nick Brown. Music was by Tim Hossman, and our sound designer was Eric Basil. Paws and Tales is an Insight for Living production.