Paws & Tales

Dave Carl: Hi there, I'm Dave Carl, creator of Paws & Tales. All of us here working on Paws & Tales want so much for more people, more families around the world to hear about the fun and the solid teaching built into every episode. So we're looking for folks who would like to join the Paws & Tales team.

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

Howdy, and welcome to Wildwood. It's another normal school day, but if you're a student of Miss Harbor's, a normal school day can be mighty unusual. She's getting the class to think about what they want to become when they grow up. Some teachers might read descriptions of jobs and careers, but Miss Harbor is teaching this lesson wearing a fishbowl on her head and a painter's jumpsuit.

Miss Harbor: Good morning, class.

C.J.: Whoa.

Miss Harbor: Okay. Class, who can tell me what I do for a living?

C.J.: Are you a deep-sea diver?

Miss Harbor: I am not a deep-sea diver, but good guess, C.J.

Goose: I think you are a lightbulb.

Miss Harbor: No.

Ned: I think you're an astronaut.

Miss Harbor: Ned, that is correct.

Staci: I don't think that you can become an astronaut.

Miss Harbor: And why not?

Staci: Because it's just science fiction. They can write stories about it, but it's not possible.

Ned: Maybe not yet.

Staci: That's two smart things in a row.

Ned: I'm having a good day.

Miss Harbor: That's exactly why I have got to get this thing off. Well, that's better. That's exactly why I'm dressed as an astronaut. I want you to stretch your imaginations. Just because we can't do it right now doesn't mean we won't be able to one day. If you have a longing to become something, you should pursue it, even if it seems impossible.

Multi: I've always wanted to be owner.

Ned: What do you mean, owner?

Multi: Of the world.

Miss Harbor: With that in mind, I want you all to give your progress reports to the class on your "What I Want to Be When I Grow Up" project. Tell us what you want to become, and then tell us what your project will be. C.J.

C.J.: My project is over here, and it's almost done.

Goose: Teacher's pet.

C.J.: I want to become an architect. I am building a castle out of sugar cubes.

Staci: C.J., that's a great idea.

Goose: Sugar, I like it.

Miss Harbor: Very nice, C.J. I especially like the spires and the parapets.

C.J.: The tall, skinny parts?

Miss Harbor: Precisely.

Goose: Spires and parapets. Nicely done.

C.J.: I have spires and parapets.

Miss Harbor: Goose, what is your project going to be?

Goose: Me? Well, I want to become an artist. I am going to paint this. It's just a sketch now, but I'll paint it for the project.

Miss Harbor: That's amazing.

Goose: It's not really done yet, but I call it "True Victory."

Staci: Hold it up higher.

Goose: Sure. The soldier will be wearing chain mail, and instead of holding up his sword, I think I'll change it to him holding a flag. I haven't done his face yet because I haven't decided what he looks like.

Ned: It's very nice if you like great art, but it's no sugar cube castle with spires and parapets. Not a parapet to be seen.

Goose: No.

Miss Harbor: Goose, I think you are well on your way to becoming an artist. Ned.

Ned: Yes. Well, I want to become a scientist. I want to invent things. I've been working on something that has haunted civilization for centuries.

Insight for Living: Well, at the end of the day, the class was getting ready to head home. Miss Harbor had one last thing to do.

Miss Harbor: Oh, Goose.

Goose: Yes, ma'am?

Miss Harbor: Could I see you and your sketchbook for just a minute before you go?

Goose: You bet. Staci, I'll catch up in a minute. She wants to see my sketch again.

Staci: Okay.

Goose: Here you go, Miss Harbor.

Miss Harbor: Yes. Oh, Goose, this is a remarkable sketch.

Goose: This old thing? Anyone really could have drawn it.

Miss Harbor: I wanted to ask you a question or two. Your sketch here, how did you come up with it? Did you see it somewhere, or did you make it up?

Goose: I just made it up.

Miss Harbor: Very interesting. Why did you come up with a soldier at his moment of victory?

Goose: Why? I don't know. It's just art. It's just a picture.

Miss Harbor: Goose, don't ever say it's just art. Art is important. Art always says something. Always. A real artist knows why they're painting what they're painting. You should know. You should think about it.

Goose: Sure. Okay, then. I guess I will. Can I go now?

Miss Harbor: Of course, Goose. Do you understand what I just said about your art?

Goose: Absolutely. I just want to catch up with Staci. Thanks, Miss Harbor.

Miss Harbor: Let's talk more about your sketch tomorrow.

Staci: Here she comes. Let's get moving.

Goose: That was terrible.

C.J.: What was terrible?

Goose: It was awful.

Ned: What was awful?

Goose: Miss Harbor.

Staci: Miss Harbor was awful?

Goose: I'm not doing that again. She hates my sketch.

C.J.: Let's get going. Goose, she said it was a great sketch.

Goose: To the class, but just now, she told me that I didn't know why I drew it or what it meant. She said I wasn't a real artist. I was so embarrassed.

Ned: That doesn't sound like Miss Harbor.

Goose: I felt like a dummy. I'm not doing that again.

Ned: Goose, you have talent. You can't just hide it or bury it.

Goose: You just watch me. I'm not doing that again.

C.J.: Afternoon, Mr. Yusuf.

Mr. Yusuf: Excuse me.

C.J.: Good afternoon.

Mr. Yusuf: Do I know you? Oh, hello, C.J.

C.J.: Hi, Mr. Yusuf.

Mr. Yusuf: Off to fish or some such adventure?

C.J.: We can't decide yet. This is my friend Ned.

Mr. Yusuf: Yes. Have a good afternoon.

Ned: Hi, I'm C.J.'s friend, the invisible, utterly forgettable beaver. What's with that guy?

C.J.: He scares me. Oh, he's okay. He's just kind of serious all the time.

Ned: You think?

Guest (Male): Excuse me, sir.

Mr. Yusuf: Are you addressing me?

Ned: Hey, Staci, look.

Guest (Male): Yes, sir. Could you please spare some change? I'm having a bit of a rough spell, and I haven't had a meal for—

Mr. Yusuf: I cannot spare any change. Good day.

Guest (Male): Sorry to bother you, sir.

Ned: We sure are getting a lot of bums in town these days.

C.J.: Wait.

Staci: What's up? What's the matter? C.J.'s got that look.

C.J.: I don't think he is a bum.

Ned: How do you know?

C.J.: I don't know. Papa Chuck said it's kind of like discernment. I think he's a good guy who's in a bad spot.

Ned: What are you doing?

C.J.: Sir, if you go to that church right over there, Pastor Flint, he'll see to it that you get a good meal.

Guest (Male): Pastor Flint?

C.J.: Yes. And here, it's not much, but I hope it'll help.

Guest (Male): Thank you, son. Thank you kindly.

C.J.: Welcome. You guys ready?

Staci: Yeah. Wow, C.J., that was really—

Ned: Nuts. How do you know what he's going to spend that money on?

Staci: I was saying that that was really nice. You did a good thing there, C.J.

Ned: Nuts. All of you.

Insight for Living: As the kids rambled off into the afternoon, they had no idea that C.J. had not helped a bum. He looked like one, all right. But C.J. had just been tested by the Lord. C.J. had given kindness and 48 cents to an angel, an actual angel of the Lord.

Angel (Male): Good for you, C.J. Brown. Good for you.

Scarlett: Hi, I'm Scarlett from Texas. You know what I like to listen to the most? Paws & Tales, of course. There is more Paws & Tales coming right up.

Ned: Good day, everyone. It's Ned the beaver here. Now, it's not been scientifically proven, but I have a theory that it is 37% more fun to listen to Paws & Tales with friends or family. How could that not be true? Well, we would love to see a photo of you and your group listening to Paws & Tales wherever you listen, and I'll tack them up on the clubhouse wall for all to see. Just go to pawsandtales.org.

Insight for Living: C.J. later found himself at the Fixit Shop, where he often goes to work things out.

C.J.: And I just sort of knew.

Papa Chuck: But how did you know?

C.J.: I don't know. He just seemed like he'd never done this kind of thing before. And he didn't get mad at Yusuf for not helping, either. He just seemed sad, like a guy who needed a little help.

Papa Chuck: That's discernment. I'm proud of you, son. You felt there was a need, and you acted on it.

C.J.: Ned said I was nuts. He said that the bum would just spend it on something bad.

Papa Chuck: Well, if you knew he would, then it would have been foolish to help him. That's why you need to pray for wisdom. You need to pray for it a lot.

C.J.: I will.

Papa Chuck: What's really good about this is that you're exercising your gift. You got something special there, son, and it's up to you to learn how to use it well. Flex it. Make it stronger. Give me a hand here.

C.J.: Okay.

Insight for Living: Pretty much at the same time that C.J. was working on exercising his gift, Goose was in her basement with Staci working on hers, even if it was in secret.

Goose: Just a minute, Staci. I've got to do this just right. Don't look at the painting.

Staci: I'm not looking. Calm down. All I'm saying is that you can't quit painting if you're going to keep painting. It's not possible.

Goose: Well, sort of is. I mean, I have to paint. If I don't paint and draw, I think I would just explode.

Staci: Then quit talking about quitting. That's all I'm saying.

Goose: But I'm not letting Miss Harbor or anyone else see anything I paint. No one will ever— Did you look?

Staci: I did not.

Goose: It was like Miss Harbor looked into my head and saw what was there, or even worse, not there. It was scary. It was embarrassing. I'm not—

Staci: I know. You're not doing that again.

Goose: Right. Have I said that before?

Staci: Yes.

Insight for Living: Well, another school day had begun, and everyone was working on their projects. Everything was back to normal, at least for a few minutes.

Ned: It's the best sugar cube castle I have ever seen.

C.J.: Thanks. Glue, please.

Ned: Glue. It's just a shame.

C.J.: What's a shame?

Ned: That it's kind of so cube-like.

C.J.: How else should a sugar cube castle look?

Ned: Well, it's just that it's too square. You need to sort of round off the corners of the walls a little.

C.J.: I could scrape them.

Ned: Nah, you're just going to pull the cubes off. Hey, what if—

C.J.: What are you doing?

Ned: I'm licking the sugar cubes. Look, it works. If you lick the sharp edges, it dissolves the sugar and rounds off the corners.

C.J.: Let me see. It is tasty, too.

Ned: It's kind of sweet.

Miss Harbor: Yes, Goose?

Goose: I want to change my project.

Miss Harbor: Change it?

Goose: Yes. Can I give my progress report to the class?

Miss Harbor: Well, I suppose so.

Goose: Excuse me. I am no longer going to be a painter when I grow up. I am going to be a singer-songwriter.

Staci: A what?

Ned: Oh, this is going to get good.

Goose: I'm working on a song called "I Love Something."

Staci: "I Love Something"? No, Staci, that would be silly. It's called "I Love—" I forgot the rest of the title.

C.J.: You forgot what you love? That's not helpful.

Goose: Well, it'll come to me in a minute. Now, I wrote this on the piano at home, but since we don't have a piano here, I brought my harmonica. So, here it goes.

Ned: How can you accompany yourself with a harmonica?

Goose: (Singing)

Good friends are friends that like you

Even when you're not acting too friendly

Ned: I guess that's how.

Goose: (Singing)

Good friends keep keep your good friends

Going upwards way up, up, up, and up

And a good friend rejoices in your servant-dippity

Miss Harbor: Class, class. Oh, my goodness. That'll be fine, Goose. Have a seat.

Goose: I know it's a little rough, but in the business, they call it a first pass.

Ned: Is it called "I Love Friends"?

Goose: That's it. How did you know? Stop it. Make it stop.

Miss Harbor: All right, class. Class. Okay. Let's put away your projects, and let's get out your science lesson now.

Insight for Living: The class did finally recover from Goose's song. C.J. and Ned were so excited about the sugar cube castle. They'd finish up early on their every lesson and shoot right over to it. They were working on it every spare moment they had.

Ned: Does the castle look small to you? I feel all kind of funny.

C.J.: Do you think it could be because we just ate a quarter pound of sugar?

Ned: I suppose that could account for some of it. I don't feel very good.

C.J.: I'm not feeling too great myself. Maybe we should stop eating the castle.

Miss Harbor: All right, please clean up now, class. It's time for recess.

Staci: Recess. I love recess.

Ned: I love recess more. I don't feel very good.

C.J.: Me too. For both, feeling bad and loving recess. I think rounding off the corners was a bad idea.

Multi: Excuse me, ladies. Coming through.

Ned: I hate it when he does that. One of these days, I'm going to let him have it.

C.J.: You were going to let him have it?

Ned: Yes, me. I just ate half a castle. I could do anything. I'm having that thing again.

C.J.: What? Waves of nausea?

Ned: Well, yes, but something else. That feeling, discernment thing. Multi seems lonely and sad.

C.J.: Don't do it, C.J. Nothing good could come of it.

Ned: Look how he's just off by himself. I'll be right back.

C.J.: Don't go. Staci, come here. Multi, what do you want?

Ned: I was just watching, and it seems that you were kind of lonely and sad.

Multi: What?

Ned: Yes, I discerned that you were feeling lonely and sad. I just wanted to—

Multi: Hey, you. Me. C.J. just discerned something.

Ned: Whoa.

Jada: Hi, I'm Jada from Texas. My favorite Paws & Tales character is Staci because she looks cute. Wait till you hear what happens next on today's episode.

Ned: Welcome, everyone, to my podcast, "Ned Knows." My guest today is my good friend Staci. So, tell me, Stace, why do you think Paws & Tales is so amazing?

Staci: Well, I love it because it's funny and every episode has an original song, which is super-duper fun. I go around singing them all the time.

Ned: They really are fun. I knew that because—

Staci: Yes, I know. Ned knows. Yes, exactly. But did you know that every episode is read over by theologians? Folks with really big brains. They read it over to make sure that everything is good and true as well as being fun and full of adventure.

Ned: I did— well, not entirely sure I—

Staci: Ned, just say you didn't know that.

Ned: Well, that's all the time we have here for "Ned Knows." Tune in next time to hear some other neat stuff I already know.

Staci: Really, Ned? I can't believe I just said "neat stuff." I need a latte.

Insight for Living: It could not have gone worse.

Ned: I tried to warn him. I was going to stop him, but I was about to throw up a parapet.

C.J.: A what?

Ned: Could we just focus here, Ned?

Papa Chuck: So you tried to help Multi, and you ended up with a black eye. And the sign.

C.J.: What sign is that?

Papa Chuck: They pinned a sign on my back. I didn't know. And the sign said, "I discerned, so kick me." It could not have gone worse.

C.J.: I guess not. Yeah, well, I'm done with it.

Papa Chuck: With what?

C.J.: With this discernment thing. I'm done. I failed. It's over.

Papa Chuck: Come here, C.J. You probably did the right thing back there with Multi.

C.J.: Then why did I get a black eye? If I did the right thing, why did I get beaten up?

Papa Chuck: Any number of things could have happened back there. You could have done the right thing, but done it badly.

C.J.: Too much sugar shake?

Papa Chuck: I possibly might have been a little annoying.

C.J.: Because of too much sugar?

Papa Chuck: Maybe. You're good. Even so, you know, you could have done the right thing and Multi could have just not wanted your kindness. That happens all the time. Just because you do what God wants you to doesn't mean that everything will go well. Sometimes things get worse.

C.J.: That's great news.

Papa Chuck: But you need to do it anyway. Moses finally gave in to God and told Pharaoh, "Let my people go." You know what happened next?

C.J.: What?

Papa Chuck: Pharaoh made things worse for the Jews. A lot worse. Then the Jews who Moses came to save were furious with him.

C.J.: Sounds familiar.

Papa Chuck: But you know, that's not the end of the story. At the end, there was freedom and a new nation that loved God more than ever. And about that failure thing.

C.J.: Yeah?

Papa Chuck: Pastor Flint told me once that the first step of discipleship is to make a mistake. It's how we learn. If you learn from the mistake, it's not a failure. If you quit using a special gift God gave you because it got hard, that's a failure. You're a growing disciple of Christ, son, and you have a special gift. You're going to make mistakes, but you've got to practice to get better with it. You've got to grow your gift. Don't give up.

C.J.: Yes, sir.

Insight for Living: Well, C.J. and Ned headed home and were working over some of the things Papa Chuck had told them.

C.J.: It's like your special gift is being really smart. You have to work at it to get smarter. I mean, you don't just sit there and get smarter without trying.

Ned: I suppose. Good afternoon there, Mr. Yusuf. I'm Ned, C.J.'s best friend and confidant.

Mr. Yusuf: Good afternoon, C.J. Williams, this is Theo Brown's car. Oh, brother.

C.J.: Really? Nice to meet you.

William: And you too. Is there something wrong, C.J.?

C.J.: No, sir. I was just— we better get going. Bye.

Ned: Okay, what was that all about?

C.J.: I got that feeling again.

Ned: Don't tell me Mr. Yusuf is lonely and sad.

C.J.: No, but something was, I don't know, wrong. He was all nervous to bump into us.

Ned: Well, he sure wasn't nervous bumping into me. He didn't even know I was there.

C.J.: I just got the feeling that he was doing something wrong.

Mr. Yusuf: Did you see that?

William: See what?

Mr. Yusuf: The way C.J. looked at me. It was as if he saw right through me, as if he knew.

William: He's just a cub. Forget it.

Mr. Yusuf: We will need to keep an eye on that one.

Insight for Living: Well, the first thing that next morning, the projects were due, and C.J. was first up.

C.J.: Well, my project was—

Miss Harbor: Tell the class what you want to be first.

C.J.: Okay, well, I want to be an architect. An architect designs buildings. So, I designed and built—

Staci: What is that? Where's the castle?

C.J.: Well, I had a change of plans. Because of some things that went wrong, instead of a castle, it became an igloo.

Ned: Hey, what's that thing around it?

C.J.: A moat. I built an igloo with a moat. This is so embarrassing.

Miss Harbor: Well, thank you, C.J. Ned, are you ready?

Ned: Yes, ma'am. Well, I want to be a scientist. So, I built a perpetual motion machine.

Staci: That's really cool.

Ned: You see that when all of these little balls roll into the outside, they help keep the wheel turning.

Multi: Excuse me, genius, but your perpetual motion machine just stopped.

Ned: So it did. So it did. Thank you for pointing that out, Multi. In the business, we call this a first pass.

Multi: So it's not a perpetual motion machine?

Ned: No, it's not. I decided that first I would make a periodically pausing machine first.

Miss Harbor: Thank you, Ned. Who's next?

Goose: Me! Me! Me!

Miss Harbor: Goose.

Goose: I'm not going to use a harmonica.

Miss Harbor: Goose, can I have a moment with you first?

Goose: Oh, sure.

Miss Harbor: Goose, I don't want you to do a song.

Goose: But I practiced all night, practically.

Miss Harbor: I think it's safe to say that you have more ability in another area.

Goose: Really?

Miss Harbor: Your mother thought you forgot it, so she brought your painting to school.

Goose: No, it's not done. Don't look at it.

Miss Harbor: Goose, I think I may have been too hard on you the other day. Is that why you don't want me to show your painting?

Goose: Well, yeah. It was embarrassing. You asked me stuff I had never thought of before.

Miss Harbor: Let me think of how to say this. You, Goose, have a special gift. You can make pictures. You're an artist. That is a God-given gift.

Goose: I know, but—

Miss Harbor: But now it's up to you to work at it. You have to grow your gift. You're not as good at it now as you will be if you practice. You need to get better at it. That's the way it works, Goose. You can't just bury your talent. You have to have people challenge you, to ask you tough questions. The life of an artist can be difficult and scary, but it can also be very exciting. And your gift is really, really important.

Goose: You think so?

Miss Harbor: Oh, I do. There are probably a lot of important artists out there that the world will never know about. It's not because they lack talent, but because they lack courage.

Goose: Really?

Miss Harbor: Don't just bury your talent out of fear, Goose. And don't just paint. Be brave enough to work at it and be open to correction. You need to be courageous, Goose.

Goose: I guess so.

Miss Harbor: Are you ready to show your painting to the class?

Goose: But I haven't finished the face. I don't know what the soldier looks like.

Miss Harbor: I think that's what makes it so interesting. It could be anyone. Any one of us. I think it's done, Goose. The question is, are you?

Goose: Everybody, I want to be an artist, a painter, and this is my project.

Miss Harbor: All right, ready?

Song: (Singing)

By the old mill stream one day

A sunny day when the Master came our way

He said, "My friends, I'm going on a trip to visit my grand-nephew"

"Well, good for you," he said

"Without a doubt, you do great work"

"Gee, thanks"

"No, thank you"

Then he gave us some advice and he was gone

Bloom, bloom

And since the meaning of his words

Was such an incredibly stupendous, brilliantly wise, positively insightful

And otherwise biblical piece of advice

We want to pass it along, of course, in song

Make your gifts grow

Make your gifts grow

Make your gifts grow

Then you will know with the talent you have

You're no average Joe

Oh no, don't bury or hide them like rocks in the ground

You never know when God is going to need your talent around

So let them show, ready, set, go

You've got gifts from your head to your tapping toes

There should be fruit if you water the roots

So make your gifts grow

That's a great idea

If we grow our gifts, we will surely see swiftly

That they will be so useful in the kingdom of God

There's nobody like you to take your place

You're as unique as a Paws & Tales story

That's why we sing with a smile on our faces

Bloom, bloom, bloom, bloom

Make your gifts grow and overflow

With the love of the Lord, you'll be good to go

So work on your gifts morning, evening, and noon

Before life's over, cause time is ticking

God may call on you soon

You never know who you may sow

If you practice your gifts and then let them show

The Lord is waiting for a person who makes their gifts grow

Hey, how about you?

So make your gifts grow

Make your gifts grow

Insight for Living: To order a copy of today's program, "Grow Your Gifts," just log on to pawsandtales.org. "Grow Your Gifts" was written and directed by David Carl. The song "Make Your Gifts Grow" 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.