Paws & Tales

Ned: Hey, hey Joel. Look at me. I'm in the control room.

Joel: Hey Ned, I'm just setting up the mics and then we'll be ready, okay?

Ned: Okay. I'm going to check the levels. Give me some of that script, WF 23 number five.

Joel: Okay. Hi folks, this is Ned the Beaver, blah blah blah, blah blah blah.

Ned: We are professionals, Joel. Respect the script. Always respect the script.

Joel: Hi folks, this is Ned the Beaver. There's a lot of Wildwood to explore here on pawsandtales.org.

Ned: No, sorry, again, please. With feeling this time.

Joel: Hi folks, this is Ned the Beaver. There's a lot of Wildwood to explore here on pawsandtales.org.

Ned: Okay, good. So good. But with more energy, please. I need more.

Joel: Hi folks, this is Ned the Beaver. There's a lot of Wildwood to explore here on pawsandtales.org.

Ned: That's perfect, Joel. Now say pawsandtales.org like your pants are just a little bit on fire.

Joel: Ned, get out of my chair.

Ned: Signing off from Paws & Tales studios, I'll see you at pawsandtales.org.

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

Come on CJ, jump. It's too far. It wasn't too far for me. Insight for Living is proud to present Paws & Tales.

Howdy and welcome to Wildwood. It's a slow Sunday afternoon and the club has filled up Papa Chuck's little shop to the brim. They each are working on some little project and while they saw or sand or paint, Papa Chuck is doing a little work on them as well.

Papa Chuck: Well, it sounds like you have a pretty good chance at the championship game.

Stace: Looks like we're doing great this year. To tell you the truth, it's CJ's pitching that's made the difference.

Jeremiah: He shoots them over the plate like a bullet.

Papa Chuck: I've seen him do it. You think God always wants you to win?

Stace: Sure. We pray before every practice and every game. I guess if we do it right, he wants us to win.

Papa Chuck: Do teams that never pray, never think about God, ever win?

Stace: All the time.

Jeremiah: Sure they do. Well, that doesn't seem fair. Maybe God wants us to win sometimes and lose sometimes.

Stace: But if you are a Christian and do what God wants you to do, you'll win. Papa Chuck, which is it?

Papa Chuck: Goose has it right. Sometimes we learn more or grow more from losing than we ever could from winning. The Bible's full of people that have lost or failed and they were the better for it.

Stace: Why do we practice if God might want us to lose?

Papa Chuck: Winning or losing is less important than how you do it. A wise old bear taught me that we should work hard, but work to please God. Let him take care of the rest.

Stace: So we should practice hard and play to please God. I like it. That should be our team motto.

Papa Chuck: That would be a good one.

Stace: Not everyone on the team even believes in God.

Papa Chuck: That makes it especially important that you all play to please God. It may not seem like it, but those on the team that don't believe in God, they're watching you. Watching to see if Christians are any different.

Practice hard, play to please God. Do that and they'll know you're different.

Goose: I'm ready to paint this.

Papa Chuck: Looks good, Goose. Just sand off the corners a little bit more and I think you've got it there.

Insight for Living: Thursday afternoon was their next game. And before they played, they prayed and whispered their new motto to each other: Play hard and play to please God.

Things are going very well that day. Their team, the Cavalry, was ahead of the Seagulls five to two at the bottom of the fourth. CJ's pitching and he's got the hot hand today.

Umpire: Strike two.

Coach Fox: Timeout, timeout. Everybody, come in on the pitcher's mound. Come in, Sammy.

CJ: What's up, Coach Fox?

Coach Fox: How you feeling, CJ? How's your shoulder?

CJ: Good. Tired, but good.

Goose: We're going to get a win this one.

Coach Fox: Did you see that catch?

Jeremiah: Yes, I did.

Coach Fox: Good work, Jeremiah.

Jeremiah: Thanks, Coach Fox.

Coach Fox: All of you, you're doing a great job. Just one more strike, CJ, and then we're up to bat and halfway to the championship.

CJ: I'm ready.

Coach Fox: You look like you're struggling a little, CJ. Stacy can pitch for a while.

Jeremiah: He's doing great.

CJ: I'm fine.

Umpire: Play ball.

CJ: Just keep it loose and lay it in.

Umpire: Strike three, you're out.

Goose: Yeah, another one bites the dust. CJ, you did it. You were like major league.

Stace: You okay? Great job, CJ.

CJ: What's wrong? I don't know. It's my shoulder.

Jeremiah: You can't be hurt. We're headed to the championship. Coach Fox, CJ's hurt.

Coach Fox: CJ, you okay?

CJ: It's my shoulder.

Coach Fox: Can you move it?

CJ: Barely.

Jeremiah: He's going to be all right, right?

Coach Fox: I expect, but let's just see what Doc Lowell thinks about it. Here, CJ, hold your arm steady. I'll walk him over and be right back. Hunt, cover me.

Goose: What do we do, Coach Fox?

Coach Fox: You finish the game, Goose.

Goose: Who's going to pitch?

Coach Fox: Well, Stace, looks like it's up to you.

Stace: But I can't. We need him.

CJ: You can do it, Stace. Just fire them over the plate.

Stace: Have Jeremiah pitch.

Jeremiah: Me? No way. You're a whole lot better than me.

Coach Fox: Stacy, you need to pitch. Go get on the mound, give it your best shot. We'll be back shortly. Come on, CJ.

Insight for Living: Unfortunately, Stacy hadn't practiced pitching as much as CJ had. She did her best, but the Cavalry still lost.

And it wasn't the last of the bad news that day, as they found out when they went to see CJ outside Doc Lowell's office after the game.

Goose: You what?

CJ: I pulled something in my shoulder, pulled it bad.

Goose: What does that mean?

CJ: I'm supposed to wear this sling for a month.

Goose: What? A month? What was the matter? What did he say?

Stace: CJ can't pitch anymore.

Ned: Oh, there goes the championship.

Goose: I have something to say.

Stace: What?

Goose: This is really bad.

Coach Fox: Thank you, Goose. CJ will be out for the rest of the season. And it also means you'll have to pitch, Stacy.

Stace: Me? My pitching just lost us the game.

Goose: We'll be like a ship without a captain.

CJ: You just need more practice, that's all.

Stace: Are you nuts? We need you.

Goose: We'll be like an army without a general. We'll never win the championship game.

Ned: Are you kidding? We'll never win any game.

Goose: We'll be like a team without a pitcher. Hey, I'm under a lot of pressure here.

Stace: Our pitcher's wearing a sling. We don't have a chance.

CJ: Look you guys, this is a good team and Stace, you are a good pitcher. You just need to practice.

Stace: CJ, you're our captain.

CJ: I'll be at every practice and every game I can. I just can't throw. It's all about practice. We can do this, okay?

Goose: Okay.

Ned: We'll practice.

Stace: We promise. Stacy, I guess we don't have much of a choice, do we? Okay.

Coach Fox: Hey guys, this is a hard thing here, but you just have to step it up. We've got three games to the championship, only three games to win. We can do this.

Stace, just get up there and give it your best. Maria, Sammy?

Maria: We'll catch the fly balls, Coach. We know.

Coach Fox: All right then. Come on, CJ. Let's get you home.

Insight for Living: That night, CJ had a terrible time getting to sleep. His shoulder was hurting so bad he couldn't relax. So he decided to crack open his Bible.

CJ: Then the Lord came down on Mount Sinai to the top of the mountain. And the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain.

Guest (Male): How long will you be gone, Moses?

Moses: As long as the Lord desires.

Guest (Male): But who will look after the people?

Moses: My brother Aaron and the priests will look after your affairs.

Aaron: Moses, we're frightened.

Moses: Consecrate yourselves and wait on the Lord your God. He is faithful and will not forget you.

Insight for Living: The next day, Stacy and Goose were walking downtown past Mr. Peebles' store, still feeling the loss of their star pitcher.

Goose: CJ's not even coming to school today.

Stace: That's what I heard.

Goose: We going to practice this afternoon?

Stace: Yeah, for all the good it'll do us.

Ned: Hey guys.

Goose: Hi, Ned.

Stace: Hi, Ned.

Ned: CJ staying home today.

Stace: I wish there was some sort of magic spell that would make us a better team, or at least make me better.

Ned: Hey, look what I found.

Stace: A penny.

Ned: Find a penny, pick it up, and all day long you'll have good luck. Doesn't really rhyme, does it?

Goose: No, it doesn't. It's kind of like lady and baby. Think of it how you want, it just doesn't rhyme.

Stace: Let me see it. So you think this is a lucky penny?

Ned: No, not really.

Goose: Well, it can't hurt. I mean, at this point we need all the help we can get.

Stace: I don't think we're going to get it from a penny. Stacy, Stacy.

Stace: Hi, Mr. Peebles.

Mr. Peebles: Just the girl I'm looking for. You won.

Stace: Won? Won what?

Mr. Peebles: One super ice cream sundae with all the trimmings.

Goose: Wow.

Mr. Peebles: I just pulled your name out of my contest jar. Saw you walking by and thought I'd tell you. Congratulations.

Stace: I've never won anything before in my life.

Mr. Peebles: No kidding. Well, looks like your luck is changing.

Stace: Yeah, maybe it is.

Kayla: Hi everyone, my name is Kayla. I'm eight years old. Me and my sister Eleanor love listening to Paws & Tales when we're coloring and on long car rides. You'll love it too, so tune in today.

Stace: Hey everyone, Stacy here from Paws & Tales. What if you could help kids around the world hear about the great love of God for his children?

We do it in a fun way that is full of music, laughter, and storytelling that makes kids want to listen. This is exactly what we do here at Paws & Tales.

To help out with a donation of any size, just jump over to pawsandtales.org and click the donate button. Thank you so much for the help.

Insight for Living: Well, Goose decided to keep the penny in a leather marbles bag. That afternoon, she took the penny bag to practice and it was the best one the team ever had.

In fact, it was exceeded only by their next two practices. Stacy had her bring the penny bag to their next game. Stacy pitched up a storm and when it was all over...

Umpire: Strike three, that's the game. Cavalry wins, six to three.

Goose: Stacy, you did great.

Stace: We all did, thanks to the penny.

Ned: Yeah, I guess it really is a lucky... shouldn't we pray now? Papa Chuck said we should always...

Stace: That is some penny. We're bringing it to every game for the rest of the season. This little coin is going to win us the championship.

Insight for Living: Meanwhile, CJ's shoulder was healing, but it was a constant source of pain and aggravation. He'd spent much of the last couple of days staying indoors and since he couldn't do much else, he just kept on reading from Exodus.

CJ: Then the Lord spoke all of these words, saying...

Voice of God: I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me.

Insight for Living: The next couple of days were filled with great practice and high expectations from the Cavalry baseball team. Stacy made sure that Goose brought the penny bag to every practice and every game.

Anytime they made a great catch or threw especially well, they figured it was on account of that lucky penny. Things were going so well, they decided to have extra practices.

Coach Fox: I'd never have believed it. Stacy, you have suddenly turned into one good pitcher. We really have a chance at the championship.

Stace: Thanks, Coach Fox. Where's the penny, Goose?

Goose: Oh, yeah, the penny. Here.

Stace: This is our secret weapon, our lucky penny.

Coach Fox: A lucky penny. When I was a kid playing ball we had a guy on our team we called him Scrub. He had this short buzz haircut and before we took the field or went up to bat, we rubbed him on the head for good luck.

Ned: You don't think it's a little weird?

Coach Fox: No, it's just a little bit of fun. What could it hurt? If it makes you feel better, play better, I say what's the harm? Well, look what the cat dragged in.

Stace: Hi, CJ. How are you? How's the arm?

CJ: Okay, sore, but okay.

Coach Fox: Good to have you back on the field, son. I gotta go guys, all right? See you tomorrow at the game.

Goose: See you Coach Fox, see you tomorrow. Bye.

Ned: Bye.

CJ: Stacy, you guys were great.

Stace: I know.

CJ: I mean, really good, and your pitching, whoa.

Stace: I know.

CJ: I knew you had it in you. See what practice does?

Stace: Well, not just practice.

CJ: What do you mean?

Stace: Goose, show him the lucky penny bag.

Goose: Oh yeah, the penny. Here it is.

CJ: You have a lucky penny?

Stace: CJ, I know you're not going to believe this, but the penny in the bag is dripping with luck.

CJ: Luck?

Stace: I didn't believe it either at first, but it's true. Tell him, Goose.

Goose: Right. Well, Ned is really better at this sort of thing.

Ned: I'd be happy to. After Goose found the penny, Mr. Peebles pulled Stacy's name out of a bowl and she got a free sundae.

CJ: Whoa.

Ned: And well, you saw how well we were playing. It really works.

CJ: I'm not so sure it's all that lucky.

Stace: The penny works.

Goose: Maybe you should keep it from now on.

Stace: No, no, no. That could ruin everything. It's been lucky while Goose has it. Goose, you gotta be the one who keeps it.

CJ: Well, penny or not, it looks like the Cavalry is getting closer to the championship.

Stace: We're going to the championship.

Insight for Living: Well, the Cavalry were very excited about that lucky penny bag and their much improved chances of winning. As far as the club goes, they were no longer praying before and after each game.

Seems they'd forgotten about their new motto: Play to please God. And to make it worse, Stacy actually had everyone on the team touch the penny bag before they went up to bat and when they took the field each inning.

Stace: Come on, you guys, a touch for luck and we're ready to play.

Jeremiah: That's right. Go Stacy, you go girl, play this one.

Insight for Living: Problem was, Stacy pitched unbelievably well and the Cavalry won and won big. They were on their way to the championship game.

Goose: Stacy, you were incredible.

Stace: See, I told you the penny was lucky.

Goose: We need to thank God for how well we did, don't you think?

Stace: Sure, okay.

Ned: Goose, come on, and bring that penny bag. We're going to be champions.

CJ: This is not good. Not good at all.

Kayla: Hi, I'm Kayla from Reno, Nevada. My favorite Paws & Tales character is Goose because she is funny and says things like bob and weave. Wait till you hear what happens next on today's episode.

Ned: I'm Ned the Beaver, star of Paws & Tales. Now, I want to surprise Papa Chuck with some photos of you. So parents, take a photo of your kids listening to Paws & Tales.

They can be funny photos, kooky pictures, you know, snuggled into the pillows, wherever your child listens. And I will have them posted on the wall of the clubhouse for all to see.

Don't you want to be a part of the clubhouse wall? Of course you do. So just go to pawsandtales.org and send in those pictures.

Insight for Living: Before the big game the next day, CJ asked everyone in the club to meet him during recess.

CJ: Everyone here? Okay. There's something really important I need to talk with you about.

Ned: I've never played in the championship game before. I'm so nervous.

CJ: Ned, you don't need to be. We have our lucky penny bag. Show us the penny bag, Goose.

Goose: Yeah. Don't forget the penny bag.

CJ: That's what I want to talk to you guys about. Goose, can I see the penny bag?

Goose: Sure. Why?

CJ: I want to hold it while I read you a story.

Ned: A story? Whoa, I love stories.

CJ: Just listen and use your imagination.

Guest (Male): Now when the people saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain, they went to Aaron and said to him: Make us gods that shall go before us.

And Aaron said to them: Break off your gold earrings and bring them to me. And he received gold from them and he made a molded calf. Then the Lord spoke to Moses:

Voice of God: Go down at once, for your people whom you have brought up from the land of Egypt have corrupted themselves. They have quickly turned aside from the way which I commanded them.

They have made for themselves a molten calf and have worshipped it and have sacrificed to it and said: This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.

Guest (Male): And Moses went down from the mountain and he was carrying the tablets of the testimony written by God. And when he came near the camp, he saw the calf and the people dancing and singing around it. And Moses was very angry.

Moses, Moses, he's come back.

Moses: Hear, O Israel. What have you done? Why have you forgotten your God who does not forget you?

Aaron: We did not know what became of you, Moses.

Moses: You obstinate people. You will pay for this and you will repent before the Lord your God.

Aaron: Moses, please.

Goose: Is that it?

Ned: Is that it?

CJ: You don't get it, do you?

Goose: I do. That lucky penny is our golden calf.

Ned: Oh my gosh, come on. Whatever. What are you talking about?

Stace: CJ, we were just having a little fun.

CJ: I thought it was just fun too, until I read this last night.

Ned: Why are you taking this so seriously?

CJ: At first, I didn't. It is serious. You guys, and me too, we were counting on a penny to make us win. We haven't prayed before or after our games for weeks. Seems like we kind of forgot about God.

Ned: Please. We aren't worshipping the penny. You guys are blowing this way out of proportion.

CJ: Well then, you won't mind if I throw the penny away.

Team: No, don't do that. Stop it, stop it.

CJ: What?

Stace: The penny was not lucky. We lost until we found the penny. Since then every game we've played with the penny we've won.

Goose: No, we didn't.

Ned: We did too win.

Goose: Not with a penny.

Stace: We all touched it before we batted. We touched it before we took the field.

Goose: Well, we did have the penny for that one practice, but on the way home that day I stopped into the general store and well, I used it to buy some licorice.

Stace: You what? You mean since then, we were touching some other penny?

Goose: Well, no.

Stace: Goose.

Goose: I didn't have another penny until allowance day. For the next two practices, it was a button.

Ned: A button? I can't believe it.

Goose: But since then, it was 10 times better because I put a dime in the penny bag until well, I was in the pharmacy and Mr. Peebles had some bubblegum, but for the last week it was a penny again.

Stace: Oh, that's just great. I don't know what to say. Sorry. I guess I got pretty weird.

CJ: Yes, you did. Okay, I did too.

Goose: Do you think we were worshipping the penny?

Stace: Well, that was an awkward question. Oh, I'm kind of embarrassed. Okay, guys, why don't we go practice some? Let's go run a few drills.

Ned: Good idea. Let's go, guys.

Insight for Living: At the bottom of the ninth at Wildwood's championship baseball playoff game division two, a wild pitch by Stacy Clemmer. She's just not playing her usual great game.

And now Stoney Barkley up to bat. Here's the pitch. And Stoney Barkley hit that ball, going, going, it's gone out of the park. Home run. And that's the game, ladies and gentlemen, the Scorpions win the championship.

Well, the very disappointed Cavalry shuffled into the dugout.

Coach Fox: Hey you guys, you played great, really great.

Goose: We were so close.

Coach Fox: We caught the fly balls, Coach, every one of them. You guys were great. I'm proud of you, every one of you.

Stace: Thanks, Coach. All that work for nothing.

Ned: Nothing? Hey, I'm sad we didn't win too, but Stacy, we were in the championship game. Come on, wake up here.

Goose: And we did it the right way. We played hard and we didn't forget about God this time.

Stace: I guess.

Mr. Peebles: Hey, kids.

Ned: Hi, Mr. Peebles.

Mr. Peebles: Listen, I've got some root beer floats for all of you at the pharmacy. We're very proud of the Cavalry. Great job, Stacy.

Stace: Well, how about that? Thanks, Mr. Peebles.

Coach Fox: You know, maybe maybe you should have used the penny.

CJ: It wasn't a lucky penny. There's no such thing.

Coach Fox: Well, even if it's not really good luck, it could have helped to make you feel better, more confident.

Stace: Yeah, well, we went a little nuts with the penny thing.

Coach Fox: But if it helps to win...

Stace: It didn't help us to win. It just made us forget why we play at all.

Coach Fox: Really? And why is that?

Stace: Well, we play... we play to please God.

Coach Fox: You play to please God.

Stace: Yeah, we practice hard and play to please God.

Coach Fox: Well, I guess that's a good thing. Sounds a little like something Papa Chuck would say.

Stace: It's true. It does, doesn't it?

Coach Fox: Anybody ready for some root beer floats?

Stace: Yeah, we'll be right there. We need to do something first.

Coach Fox: You going to pray again?

Goose: We sure are.

Coach Fox: Yes, sir. Okay. I'll meet you at the pharmacy.

Insight for Living: Play to please God. That is quite a bunch of kids.

We thought we had one lucky penny. We thought it would win us the game. But the power it had wasn't any. And the Lord says trust only in his holy name.

So we play to please God. We play to please God. Centerfield, outfield, or in. We'll give all we've got and if we win or not. We'll play to please God, yes we'll do it for him.

It's like Moses told the people of Israel long, long time ago. Don't put your trust in an idol. There's no strength in silver or stone. Because if you go that route, it's like you strike out. That's why we trust in the Lord God alone.

Yes we play to please God. We play to please God. That's because he's number one. We'll give all we've got and if we win or not. If we play to please God then we've hit a home run.

If your trust is in things, well that's a really bad call. It's like missing a throw. It's like dropping the ball. But if all of your life, God is first in your heart. It's like being at bat, a swing and a crack. And smack, it's out of the park.

So we play to please God. We play to please God. Centerfield, outfield, or in. We'll give all we've got and if we win or not. We'll play to please God, yes we'll do it for him.

To order a copy of today's program, "Whose Name Is Jealous", just log on to pawsandtales.org. "Whose Name Is Jealous" was written by Amy Robertson and directed by David Carl.

Our script supervisor was Phil Lawler. The song "Play to Please God" was written by Sandy Howell and Nick Brown. Music was by Tim Hosman and our sound designer was Jerry Swafford. Paws & Tales is an Insight for Living production.