Paws & Tales

Insight for Living: What a joy it is to meet creative people. Dave Carl is one of those people. And I mean this, Dave, as I look you in the eye today. We have you to thank for creating the scripts for our Paws & Tales ministry over the years. You've written the stories and you've put them together in such a beautiful way with all the characters in it that people I know sit on the edge of their seat listening to them from one day to the next.

So, catch us up for those that may not know what Paws & Tales refers to and then give us a little bit of an insight that you have regarding this ministry.

Dave Carl: I'd be thrilled to. Paws & Tales was born from your storytelling. As a young adult, I'm sitting listening to your sermons and your storytelling, and I think of Paws & Tales as an extension of your storytelling. And this is a fictional world and there are all talking animals and we are using this story to sneak in biblical truths.

And the key of that God is just crazy in love with his children. And you can't hear that too much. And we try to say it in a thousand different ways as we created Paws & Tales that has been around for a long, long time. We have four new episodes this last year and we have new projects in the works and we receive letters and I have one in front of me now I'd like to read to you and this just gives me pause.

From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank you all for your ministry. I have five children and we've been listening to your podcast for years, since my oldest, almost 12, was little. We love it. We waited for the new episodes with great anticipation. My fifth was born last year. She will be one at the end of this month. She was a birth diagnosis of Down Syndrome.

You can imagine all of our amazement when we listened to the new episode yesterday. I was driving with them all and as the story was building I knew something was going to be different with the baby. I did not expect it to be exactly what our family has experienced. We were all overcome with emotion. It was good and healing in a way that I can't quite explain. I know it's all God.

As we listened to the rest of the story, we were just in awe that it parallels ours so perfectly. Everything that was said, the way the church responded, all of it. We were so blessed to have had this loving welcome for our baby girl who is also very healthy and normal in all of the ways any other baby would be. We felt like someone knew us personally and made this episode just for us.

I told the kids that if they ever doubt God is real, I want them to remember this day because God told the creators of Paws & Tales to make an episode just for them. That is how we feel and we praise God for how he has worked through you all. Please pass this on to all who had a hand in making these new episodes happen. To God be the glory. Also, is there an address my kids could write to? I think they'd like to say something in their own words. Thank you so much, a family from North Dakota.

Insight for Living: When you first read that to me, Dave, some time ago, my eyes filled with tears as I thought about the remarkable fact that you created that story knowing nothing of this family. And now they are hearing it and it feels like it was written as they put it just for them. And that's the way God's word is. It's not truth for just generality or the open public.

It's truth for you. And believe me, it's truth for me. Always relevant, always real, always on target. Thank you for your wonderful support of our ministry. As you give financially, we're able to continue touching lives that reaches people that will realize the truth is just for them.

Papa Chuck: Howdy and welcome to Wildwood. There's a blanket of snow on the ground and the night sky is clear and cold, perfect weather for getting you into the Christmas spirit. The club has volunteered to deliver the Christmas baskets to Harmony this year, and it promises to be a night of excitement and Christmas fun.

Goose: We've got 15, 16, 17 toy baskets and eight, nine, 10 food baskets. 27! We need two more. Where are the other two?

Marsha: Goose, I've got one here. Just finishing up.

CJ: I've got the other one, but I need help. Marsha, I will save the day. Need me to carry this heavy basket, little lady?

Marsha: No, CJ, I need you to hold your finger on the knot while I tie it.

CJ: Well, I think I can handle that.

Goose: Okay then, 29 baskets. Are the others ready?

Ned: Yes, Commander Goose, they're ready.

Goose: Ooh, Ned, I like that.

Staci: Doesn't seem fair for the folks in Harmony. Wildwood's grown a lot this last year. There's lots more poor families that need Christmas baskets.

Goose: How many baskets did Harmony have to make?

Marsha: Good question. Last year, let's put that one over here. Last year Pastor Flank gave them a list of 23 needy families in Wildwood. This year it's gone up to 137.

CJ: Whoa, 137! And they complained? They have to do more than we do.

Marsha: They did not complain. The mayor of Harmony said this last year that they've been so blessed by God that they are filled to overflowing. Because of that, they want to be a blessing to others.

CJ: Seems like Wildwood's had all the blessings. We've done all the growing.

Marsha: Well, there's lots of ways to be blessed. The trick is to be wise enough to recognize all the blessings that God's given you.

CJ: Kind of sounds like a game. Find the ways God has blessed you.

Goose: That would be a great game! I love it!

Marsha: Okay, looks like we got them all. I'll bring the sleigh around and we can load up and head out for Harmony.

Goose: This is going to be so fun! Bundle up, everyone. It's cold out there. I can't wait to bless someone.

Marsha: Okay, all the big strong guys start carrying baskets to the sleigh. Ned, that's us.

Ned: Oh, yeah. That's us. I'm coming.

Papa Chuck: Well, they got that sleigh so full of Christmas baskets and young'uns, it's a wonder something didn't spill out on the way. Even though it was nighttime, the moon was full enough that you could just about read a book by the moonlight.

Marsha: Okay, now here's the plan.

Goose: I just love it when there's a plan.

Marsha: We'll pack Jingle Bells away, and CJ, you have the list and the map?

CJ: Right here, sir!

Marsha: Shh! CJ!

CJ: Sorry, got carried away.

Marsha: We will try to do this as quietly as we can so that they won't know that we're even here.

Goose: Very fun!

Papa Chuck: CJ and the club slipped into Harmony quiet as a feather falling on snow. At least for a while.

Marsha: Okay, okay, listen. This is the first house.

Goose: I want to take it up.

CJ: I carried the baskets. I should get to go first.

Ned: So did I. Why don't I get to go first?

Marsha: Shh, Goose, you get the first one. CJ gets the next one, then Ned, then down the line. You've got to be quiet. Goose, go.

Goose: Here I go.

Marsha: Okay, CJ, this is the next one.

CJ: Got it! It's so exciting! They'll never know who it came from.

Ned: That was fun. Let's do another. Oh, we're going to be a blessing to others. This is great. I love being a blessing.

Goose: Do you think that these are the only presents they'll get?

Marsha: Couldn't say. Oh, all right. Here comes CJ.

CJ: This is the best! Okay, I'm next.

Papa Chuck: They moved through the night and left the Christmas baskets for everyone on the list. And then they turned that sleigh around and headed for home. They sang some more and told old stories until they came into sight of Wildwood.

Goose: Ooh, I'm tired.

CJ: Me too. And my tail's almost frozen stiff.

Marsha: Yeah. But it's a good feeling, being a blessing to others. Especially knowing that it might be all they get.

Goose: Okay, next stop, the Gangoosler residence.

Goose: Well, that's me! Thanks for taking us, Mr. Brown.

Guest (Male): Glad to do it. Goodnight, Goose.

Goose: Goodnight, everyone!

Ned: Night! See you tomorrow! Hey, bring your sled!

Goose: Hey, what's what's that?

CJ: What's what?

Goose: On our front step.

Ned: Oh, no. Are those baskets?

CJ: Oh, no, they are baskets.

Goose: The folks from Harmony gave poor baskets to Goose?

Ned: And all her brothers and sisters, it looks like.

CJ: How awful!

Guest (Male): Awful? What's so awful?

Goose: They figured that Goose and her family were so bad off that they needed to get poor baskets.

Guest (Male): They're Christmas baskets. When did they become poor baskets?

CJ: Look, she's just quietly sneaking them in her house.

Ned: How embarrassing. Goose is poor.

Guest (Male): It's late and everyone is sleeping. She's just being quiet. She's not sneaking. Now hang on.

CJ: I never really thought about it before. Goose is poor.

Ned: How will she face us in the morning? We have to be there for her.

Guest (Male): I think you are all making too much of this. Hey, Ned, coming up on your house.

Ned: Okay. Whoa, whatever happens tomorrow, we have to make her feel comfortable, like this didn't even happen. Night, Ned.

Papa Chuck: The next morning, the club was slowly gathering on the best sledding hill in town. Not too steep, a little curvy, and it just goes on and on.

Ned: Hey, CJ.

CJ: Have you seen her yet?

Ned: No, not yet.

Goose: Hey, guys! Hey, look at the snow! Oh, this is great!

Ned: Is she here?

CJ: Not yet. Now, remember, the best thing to do is just act normal.

Staci: When was the last time we did that?

Ned: You know what I mean. Look at the snow! Where's Goose?

CJ: Not here yet.

Ned: Do you think that maybe she is so upset she will never come out again?

CJ: That is one possible reaction. Now just remember all we have to do is that...

Staci: Yeah, yeah, act normal. Hey, Goose!

Goose: Hey, guys! Wow, did you ever see such a beautiful winter day?

CJ: Oh, no.

Ned: What?

CJ: She's in denial.

Staci: What?

CJ: She's acting like it didn't happen.

Ned: Isn't that what you told us to do?

CJ: Yes, but it's bad if she does it. Just act normal. Who's going first? Staci?

Staci: Me? Oh, well, thank you, Goose, but I think that, well, you should go first.

Goose: Really? You always want to go first.

CJ: Really? Goose, maybe you should go first. May I help you?

Goose: Help me what? You guys are acting like goofballs.

Staci: Maybe we should just talk about it.

CJ: No! It's too early for confrontation. She needs time to process.

Goose: What are you talking about? Goose!

Tiffany: Oh, hi, Tiffany. Wow, what a great coat that is. And look at that hat. Oh, it's beautiful.

CJ: See, she's tortured by what she doesn't have.

Tiffany: Thank you, Goose. Goose, is it true that you got six poor baskets last night?

Staci: Tiffany!

CJ: Oh, my! What a thing to say!

Goose: Oh, that! Can you believe it? Each one of us kids got one! Must be some kind of a mistake. Okay, Staci, if you're just going to stand there, here I go!

Tiffany: So it's true.

CJ: This is bad. She's been confronted and still she's acting like it doesn't bother her. This is really bad.

Ned: Oh, Dave! I've had another flash of genius.

Dave Carl: Really, Ned? First the bread decruster and another one too? This is going to be a very big day for you.

Ned: Yeah, the bread decruster's still in development so that doesn't really count. No, I'm thinking it would be just a little bit of Christmas magic if we put a Paws & Tales ball cap, a Paws & Tales t-shirt, a Paws & Tales pen made from a branch of a tree...

Dave Carl: How about adding a Paws & Tales activity book?

Ned: Please don't interrupt me. I'm in the genius zone. And then we put a Paws & Tales activity book too and we put it all in a fashionable drawstring backpack. And then we call it Joel, drumroll please.

Joel: I have no drumroll, Ned.

Ned: And then we call it the Paws & Tales Christmas Cornucopia Bag of Happiness!

Joel: That's the swag bag, Ned. All ready to go in the warehouse.

Dave Carl: We planned that some time ago. The Paws & Tales swag bag.

Ned: Oh, well, way to take my idea and run with it, fellows. Good work. Just zip on over everybody to pawsandtales.org and get your Ned's genius idea swag bag.

Dave Carl: Oh, stop tape.

Papa Chuck: Well, despite the fact that no one could act normal in front of Goose, they did manage to have a great time sledding. The next morning they were headed to Papa Chuck's shop when they realized that the whole town was abuzz with excitement.

CJ: Hey, Mr. Crawford! You too, Miss Crawford!

Mr. Crawford: So did any of you get one last night?

Goose: One what?

Mr. Crawford: A gift bag. Folks all around town got a little gift bag left on their front porch.

CJ: Poor folks?

Mr. Crawford: Oh, all kinds of folks, I guess.

Marsha: What was in the bags?

Mr. Crawford: Oh, one or two toys for the young'uns.

Ned: And no one knows who did it?

Mr. Crawford: No idea whatsoever. Merry Christmas!

Goose: Merry Christmas!

CJ: Who would do something like this?

Goose: Are you upset because you didn't get one?

CJ: No, it's just not normal. This guy is like a Christmas bandit! But not really a bandit because it's more like someone who sneaks around and gives things instead of taking them. There's just no word for someone like that. Who is this guy?

Papa Chuck: Well, things just got stranger and stranger. That night there were more little gift bags left for the children of Wildwood and even more the night after that. Now for most, this was a wonderful Christmas time reminder of the joy of giving and just mysterious fun. For others, this kind of generosity was nothing but an irritation.

Mr. Crawford: Hey there, Ned.

Ned: Morning, Mr. Crawford.

Mr. Crawford: Your order's almost ready. It'll be just a couple of minutes. Oh, hey, tell your mom the material will be in next week.

Ned: Hey, I'll just look through the catalog.

Mr. Crawford: Help yourself.

Tiffany: Well, good morning, Ned.

Ned: Oh, hi, Tiffany.

Tiffany: Heard about the gift bags?

Ned: Yes, and I find it very disturbing.

Tiffany: I got one.

Ned: Oh, did you really?

Tiffany: This gift bag person thinks that I need a trashy little toy? That I need anything? I mean, it's offensive.

Ned: It's really weird. It's got to stop. Who knows where this kind of thing could lead to? Everyone thinks this guy is so wonderful. I want to catch him.

Tiffany: Oh, really?

Ned: Mm, I need your help. I have a plan to catch this Christmas bandit.

Tiffany: Yeah, but he's not really a bandit because he gives stuff away.

Ned: We're going to tie strings of bells across the front steps of houses. When this person comes to the front door to leave another bag, he will step into the bells and folks will come running to catch him. He'll be caught. He will be embarrassed.

Tiffany: Oh, yeah! But how do we know where he will strike?

Ned: Oh, there's got to be a word for this non-bandit.

Tiffany: We will tie bells on every house on the north side of town.

Ned: Now where are we going to get all those bells?

Tiffany: Ned, I'm Tiffany Rockler. I get anything I want.

Ned: I forgot. You can imagine my embarrassment. Tomorrow morning, this Christmas bandit will be finished.

Tiffany: Perhaps anti-bandit. No, that's just silly.

Papa Chuck: So after dark, Ned and Tiffany worked for hours sneaking around tying strings of bells in the dark spots of almost every house on the north side of town.

Tiffany: Tie them across the porch. You know, he might even trip and injure himself.

Ned: Wow, way to dream big, Tiffany. You are making too much noise! Be quiet!

Tiffany: Sorry.

Papa Chuck: They both woke up tired in the morning, but they were anxious to get to town early and hear news of who the Christmas gift-giving bandit was.

Ned: Hey, CJ. Did you hear anything about the Bizarro Bandit?

CJ: The what?

Ned: Yeah, that's not right either. The gift-giving guy.

CJ: Oh, yeah.

Ned: Really, who is it? Papa Chuck?

Marsha: Good morning, boys. I bet it's Mr. Crawford.

CJ: Well, I don't know who it is, but he sure was busy last night.

Ned: Busy? How was he busy?

CJ: Well, more gift bags were given out on the south side of town.

Ned: No! Not the south side!

CJ: What's even better is that he left Christmas bells on the front steps of almost every house on the north side.

Ned: What?

Goose: Yeah, I heard it too! Isn't it great? Everyone loves the guy. This is a great Christmas!

Tiffany: This is not great! They were not Christmas bells and it wasn't...

Ned: Tiffany! Ixnay on the anditbay.

Goose: I've never had a better Christmas.

Tiffany: Goose, did you get a Christmas bag?

Goose: Me? Well, no.

Tiffany: You have no gift bag. You get poor baskets. You will likely get very little for Christmas at all. How can you be so happy?

CJ: I think she's got it all bottled up inside. It can't be good for you, Goose.

Ned: You need to be sad, okay? You need to be humiliated and miserable. This happy, Merry Christmas stuff is not normal.

Marsha: Hey guys, I got Christmas bells from the gift bag guy!

Goose: Isn't it great? I love this!

Tiffany: Stop it with the happy talk!

Marsha: Sorry. Whoever it is, he's making this a really great Christmas. Those bells must have cost a fortune.

Ned: They did. Um, probably.

Tiffany: Ned, perhaps the backwards bandit knows... No, that's not right. Oh, nuts. Ned, don't you think it's time to go look at the catalog in the general store?

Ned: Why would I want to... Oh! Oh, yeah! I think it's time to go look at the catalog at the general store. I'll catch up with you guys later.

Goose: Okay, that was very odd. See you later.

CJ: Time to look at the catalog?

Staci: I know. You've got to be more subtle. There's an art to this kind of thing. Tonight we crush him. This nutcase bandit.

Ned: Okay, perhaps we'll talk about subtlety at a later time.

Tiffany: I have another plan.

Ned: Oh, boy.

Tiffany: First we go to the hardware store and get all...

Papa Chuck: Tiffany surely did have a plan. She knew the north side was the only place that the Christmas gift-giving bandit had not been to yet. So she and Ned took up a hiding place in front of a house full of kids. Tiffany had Lily ready to ring the church bell and, well, she had prepared other stuff as well.

Ned: I'm cold.

Tiffany: Be quiet.

Ned: Aren't you cold?

Tiffany: No, I'm burning up.

Ned: Oh, really? Tiffany, you seem like you have a lot of angst.

Tiffany: Of course I do. I can buy anything. I don't quite know how to respond to that. Quiet! Someone's over there. I think this might be the Christmas bandit.

Ned: But he's not really a bandit, he's more like a...

Tiffany: Quiet! Delivery guy!

Ned: Ow! I'm quiet.

Tiffany: A little bit closer. A little bit closer. Now! The light! Hit the light!

Ned: Oh, yeah! I can't believe it! What? What? Who is it?

Tiffany: It's her.

Ned: Oh!

Goose: Hey there, Ned, Tiffany.

Tiffany: The Christmas bandit is Goose!

Goose: Winter is just around the corner.

Ned: Yes, it is. Even in Wildwood the temperatures are starting to fall. Do you know what the biggest problem in the whole gigantic world is?

Dave Carl: I guess I do not. What is it?

Ned: What to wear to school! I get so excited about going to school that I don't plan stuff out very well. I wore my shirt on backwards last week, don't you know.

Dave Carl: Why, I think I've got a suggestion for you. Here is one of our newly made Paws & Tales t-shirts. It has the Paws & Tales logo on the front so you'll never be confused and wear it backwards.

Ned: Oh, that is so clever. Did you think of that? Nice job there, Dave. It would be so great if people could just go onto pawsandtales.org and order them, in various sizes and all, and get the shirt that will make going to school easy and not all backwards. It's a real problem you know.

Dave Carl: Goose, I think you are a genius.

Papa Chuck: Goose is the Christmas gift-giving bandit?

Goose: It was Goose!

CJ: We got her! We got her! Caught in the very act! Goose, it was you all along?

Goose: It was indeed!

Papa Chuck: What's going on here?

Tiffany: Papa Chuck, the Christmas bandit is Goose! All we need now is for Officer Hunt to take her away.

Officer Hunt: Take her away for what, exactly?

Tiffany: For what? For stealing for one thing! There's no way that she could afford to buy all those toys that she gave out.

Officer Hunt: That's a very good point.

Papa Chuck: She wouldn't do that. Goose?

Goose: Well, I didn't steal anything. I wouldn't do a thing like that.

Tiffany: Then where did you get all those toys?

Goose: Well, we got six Christmas baskets full of toys, don't you know.

CJ: You mean you've been giving away the stuff that you got from the poor baskets?

Officer Hunt: Remarkable. I've never heard of such a thing.

Tiffany: That is just the kind of thing that I am talking about. This is not normal.

Officer Hunt: No, it's not. What, Papa Chuck? Nothing normal about it. Goose, that's one of the most generous things I've ever seen.

Goose: Really? Wow!

Tiffany: But she was littering!

Ned: No, technically she wasn't...

Tiffany: She was sneaking around at night!

Goose: My folks said I could.

Tiffany: Your parents are in on this? You know, I find this gift bag thing a little strange too, but you are taking it so personally.

Tiffany (cont.): It is a matter of balance! People who have little or nothing need to know that they have little or nothing. That way they will fight and claw and sacrifice to get more at all cost so that they can become happy.

Goose: So folks with more stuff are happier?

Tiffany: Of course!

Papa Chuck: Oh, Tiffany.

Tiffany: If people like that insufferable little weasel are contented, even happy...

CJ: Oh, I'd call it downright joyful.

Tiffany: Exactly! If others like her are joyful with little or nothing, then well, I think you can see what that would lead to.

CJ: No, what exactly would that lead to?

Tiffany: It would be chaos! It's not natural! Why can't you bumpkins see that?

CJ: But you have everything that there is to have and you're miserable, angry, and mean. You're all nuts! There is not one of you that is normal!

CJ (cont.): I meant that in the nicest possible way. Was it something I said?

Goose: I didn't mean to upset anyone or to create chaos. I was just overflowing! I wanted others to feel as overflowed as I do. That's not a very good sentence, is it?

CJ: Okay, this is where I start getting confused. Now, if I got a poor basket, I would be completely embarrassed. I would be mad at whoever thought I needed one.

Goose: Ned, they weren't poor baskets. They were Christmas baskets.

CJ: But people think that you are poor.

Goose: Why would anyone think that? I'm overflowed!

Officer Hunt: Goose, you are something else.

Goose: Yeah? Is that a good thing?

Officer Hunt: It's a wonderful thing. Most folks find it nearly impossible to be satisfied with what God's given them.

Goose: I was just playing the game.

Officer Hunt: What game?

Goose: Find the ways God has blessed you game. That's exactly right. That's why I'm overflowing!

Kids: You're overflowing? Yeah, overflowing.

CJ: Well, I'm not overflowing. Tiffany certainly isn't overflowing. Why, Goose? Why are you overflowing?

Goose: I just started thinking of all the ways God has blessed me. I have, well, I have a great family. I have the best friends ever, and well, you guys, it's Christmas! I just got so thankful I wanted everyone else to feel overflowed.

CJ: Don't you want a lot of presents? Or don't you want a coat like Tiffany's?

Goose: Well, presents would be nice, but goodness, one weasel girl can only overflow so much. But I've got some more gift bags. Want to help me deliver them?

Kids: Sure! Yeah! Yes, Goose, I do. Come on, let's deliver those bags! Okay!

Papa Chuck: That was the beginning of a very special Christmas for the club. There were going to be Christmases that were not very good, and no one would feel filled up to overflowing. But when those tough times came around, the club was so good at finding the blessings God gave them, they were able to be content anyhow.

Tiffany never did figure out that having more is not the way to get overflowing. Problem is that the way is so simple she couldn't see it. Count your many blessings. Thank God for them. And have a very Merry Christmas.

True Riches was written by Steve Golsby and David Carl, and directed by David Carl. The song The Best Part of December was written by Sandy Howell and Shelly Spady. Music was by Tim Hosman, and our sound designer was Eric Basil.

Ned: I got it! Contrabandit! No? Oh, nuts.

Papa Chuck: On the next episode of Paws & Tales... This year with our gift exchange, I thought we'd try something different. Before you open them, appreciate the one who gave it to you. Staci, what's wrong? You look like you ate a bug.

Staci: It's worse than that, CJ. My gift is from you.

Papa Chuck: Be sure to join us for another episode of Insight for Living's Paws & Tales.