Swede's Blog Letters

[Swede]

On this thread I am going to share some of my blog letters, for youngsters, from Blizzard the Travel Pillow. They have been published with some wonderful artwork by Amber Leucke of Lakeside Florida. I am sorry I am not able to transfer many to this thread. I just don't have the computer skills for that. This story is on Facebook with the artwork.

Blizzy and Grandpa.jpg (51.99 KiB) Viewed 40 times

COUNTRY BLIZZARD

I’m a country Blizzard! I am a country Blizzard, I kept repeating!
I was not aware that I was talking in my sleep until I heard Grandpa say Wake up! Wake up! Blizzard, wake up, while he was picking me up from the bed.
Wow! Grandpa, Grandma, Bertha, Bella and Cyclone were all up trying to get my attention. What’s the matter Blizzard, Grandma asked?
“Are you all right I asked as they all were staring at me.”
“We are all just fine. How about you Blizzy?
“I guess I was having a nightmare, I replied. I must have been dreaming. I thought Grandpa was very old and unable to do the things he loves. You were old too Grandma, and we were forced to leave our home to go live in a little apartment in the city.”
“I love my home here in the country with my own loving family. I never want to move anywhere.”
Grandma, took me into her arms and laid me back down. “You were just having bad dream, Blizzard. It is just 3:00 in the morning. Go back to sleep and try to have a fun dream about camping with Grandpa. We will talk about the future in the morning.
“Good night, all. I love you”, I said as I rolled on my side to try to go back to sleep. Sleep finally came, but the nightmare was so vivid that I had a hard time getting it to go away.
It seemed to be just minutes before Grandma was saying, “wake up, guys. Breakfast will be ready in a few minutes. Put your clothes all on and wash up.”
It was daylight and the sun was peaking up from behind the hills to the east. As I looked around, I took note that everything was normal and no one was really old and disabled. Grandpa was just fine and so was Grandma. Bertha and Bella were very pretty young ladies as they always are, and Cyclone was just his regular self. I was still conscience of the nightmare I had experienced earlier, and it bothered me.
After breakfast and bible study I asked Grandma to talk with me about my nightmare. “Can you assure me that you and Grandpa will never get old and we will not move away”, I asked.
Everyone was still sitting at the table when Grandma sat me on her lap. The following is what she shared with me and my pals. I hope this is a big help for you too.
Grandma opened her bible and read Genesis 2: 7, “Then the LORD God formed the man out of the dust from the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being.”
“Notice”, she said that “man began to be a living being when God breathed into his nose the breath of life. God formed the body first, then He gave it life. The apostle Paul explained that our body is like a tent and we are in this ‘tent’ until our body dies, but that is not our end, but rather a point where things change for us.”
Then Grandpa opened his bible and read 2 Cor 5: 1, “For we know that if our earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal dwelling in the heavens, not made with hands.”
He added, “This verse shared by Paul describes the temporary nature of life here on earth in our current bodies. The verse also informs us that ‘we’ who are saved in Christ have a new eternal body waiting for us in heaven.”
After that Grandpa read John 11: 26 which says, “Everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
Grandma finished with, “Blizzard and all; our current body will eventually wear out. It will go away, but we are not dead as some think. We go to be with God, and we will receive a new and everlasting body.”
“Being in a body that is wearing out is not fun, but it is temporary. Jesus will always be with us, so we are not left alone here. We love and trust Him. In Matthew 28: 20b we read a great promise Jesus made to all of His followers. It says, ‘And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’ "
“Children, you have nothing to fear. You have received Jesus as your Lord. Now you just need to believe and trust Him.”
After that I gave Grandma a big hug. I said, “I love Jesus and all of the family he has blessed me with. I don’t like the thought of you or any of us ever being apart.”
Grandma finished by saying, “Your Grandpa and I love all of you. Just remember what I just reminded you of—trust Jesus always in every circumstance.”
After that Grandpa led us in a special prayer. Then he told all of us, he has no plans to leave our home in the country to move into the city. “I suspect God will find us here when He calls us to His home.”
I felt a whole lot better and was thankful for all He has done to bless me. I know He will always be near regardless of the situation.
Friends: I know this letter is different than all of my other ones. It may be a little difficult. If it disturbs you, be sure to talk to a parent or someone you love and trust, like your church pastor, if you want to know more about what God has in store for all who love and trust Him.
Love:

Blizzard

[Swede]

CHALLENGING HIKE
Part One
In the early morning it was already starting to get warm in the mountains where Grandpa, Uncle Kent, and I were camping. “We have a lot to get done today, so we need to get the truck heading up the road,” Grandpa said, as he threw his pack in the back of the big red truck. He reminded me that my pack was on our cot in the tent. “All you will need to carry, on our hike, is on the table inside,” he added.
When I went inside the tent, I picked up and opened my pack. Then I walked over to the table. There I saw a lot of different things spread out on top. Hmm? “What should I put in my pack,” I mused to myself. There was a book in front of where Grandpa sat. My toothbrush and a tube of toothpaste were on one corner of the table. There was a bible right next to two cookies wrapped in cellophane, a plum and a granola bar. Uncle Kent had a can of boot grease and a brush on the tabletop near where he sat. My pjs were folded up on the chair which I used. There were also matches and a lantern right in the middle of the table. Last of all near where I sat was a plastic bottle of water for hikers.
What should I take? (Friends can you help me decide? The answers to my musing are given at the end of today’s story.)
When I had everything loaded, I carried my pack outside the tent and handed it to Grandpa. He opened my pack and checked to see that I had all the right things. When he was satisfied, he placed a compass inside then set it right beside of his. It looked like it was going to be a beautiful and fun day.
My little pack was loaded just right for me with nothing extra to carry. I knew Grandpa had everything we would ever need that was not included in my pack. Besides after Grandpa and I had our things loaded, Uncle Kent lowered the tailgate and placed the cooler full of good food and drinks in the bed of the truck. In the cab of the truck, he had some other items we could enjoy for snacks.
I was excited and ready to go, jumping around in circles! Grandpa looked at Uncle Kent and laughingly asked “Do you think Blizzy is ready to go?” Uncle Kent just laughed and smiled, saying “He’s ready.” Uncle Kent closed the tailgate of the pickup while Grandpa told me to “Jump on over to the truck. Time to ramble down the road! Let’s get to it!"
When we reached a saddle in the ridge about eight miles from camp Grandpa stopped the truck. This was where he wanted to start our hike, he told Uncle Kent we would be back for lunch. Looking at Uncle Kent, he asked, “Why don’t you park over in the shade and wait for us there? Before we left the road Grandpa took out his map and showed me where we were and where we were going. It was going to be a simple trip and there was no risk we would get lost. All we would need to do is hike back uphill after we had gone down to a big flat that showed up on the contour map.
Our hike started off gently, going downhill. We had an old Forest Service trail to follow and the timber was open. We could see a long way. Soon we were well over a mile down from the dirt road from where Uncle Kent waited for us, and we were hiking around a large open meadow. That is exactly what Grandpa wanted to explore. Green grass was everywhere and there were many spots where elk had laid down in that meadow. “It looks like the elk live here”, I said. Grandpa put his finger over his mouth signaling for me to not talk then, and he nodded his head, and smiled. I think he liked it that I had learned to read the elk sign somewhat like he did.
While we were quietly walking around the edge of the meadow, we caused an elk to jump up and run. I whispered we should have brought the bow, but Grandpa whispered back we had to wait about a month and a half for the season to open. “Maybe we will come back here,” he suggested.
I asked, how will we get the elk out if we shoot one here? “Good question, Blizzard,” Grandpa whispered. “It will be a big job but with Uncle Kent’s help we can pack it out with two loads. How much can you carry,” he added with a smile? I just shrugged my shoulders.
It was warming up and Grandpa said he had seen enough, so he started heading back to the truck. We took a different path out, so we could see more elk use of the area, but it would bring us to the road we had left the truck on.
About halfway back to the truck, I grabbed Grandpa’s shirt sleeve, tugged hard, trembled a little, and in a shaky voice whispered, “What is That”? Grandpa looked then suddenly he yelled at the top of his lungs! What I had seen was a big Mountain lion sneaking up on a cow elk, and her calf bedded down on the hillside, reminding me of my adventure with a coyote. Grandpa had not seen the Mountain lion before I grabbed his shirt sleeve. “Good eye, Blizzard,” he said almost out of breath. “You just saved the life of that little calf and maybe its mom. If the cow was killed now the calf would die too. It is still too young to live on its own, so maybe you saved two elk today. That is nature and I suppose I had no right to interfere, but I just did not want to see one of them killed. The cat needs to eat, and deer and elk are what they feed on a lot. It is just not something I wanted to see especially with such a young calf. Years ago, I watched a cougar (Mountain lion) chase after a deer. That was enough.”
A few minutes later we were back to the road. The truck was in sight only a short hike back. Immediately, we turned and started hiking in Uncle Kent’s direction.
Uncle Kent was sitting in the shade reading a book. He must have heard us, because he looked up, waved, and got up to drop the tail gate on the truck so we could take off our packs. Grandpa got us both a cold drink as Uncle Kent asked about our scouting.
Grandpa described all we had seen including the different elk and the cat as he handed each of us a sandwich. “Even though this is our first time in the area, I believe it will be a good hunting location,” he said.
Uncle Kent asked Grandpa if the hunting would be good since there was a cougar working the area. Grandpa told him, “Where there are no predators, there is no game.”

Our morning scouting trip reminds me of what Jesus said as recorded In Matthew 7: 7-8 csb. “Ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened”
Grandpa and I had a great time together and we learned a lot that morning. Uncle Kent was a blessing to have with us that whole camping trip.
(Grandpa wanted me to pick up the two cookies, the plum, the granola bar and the water bottle.)
Love:

Blizzard

[Swede]

CHALLENGING HIKE
Part Two
(On this hot afternoon hike into the forest both Grandpa and I were wishing we had brought more of one thing. What do you think we ran short of? The answer is in parentheses at the end of the story.)
“After we finished lunch, I want you to take the truck and drive out to the road below and wait for us there,” Grandpa told Uncle Kent, as he laid out his map and pointed to the spot he had in mind. Uncle Kent nodded his understanding and readiness to go there.
For Uncle Kent it would be about a five-mile drive to take the truck, but for Grandpa and me it should be only about two miles, mostly downhill. It looked easy enough to me to get to where Uncle Kent would be waiting. At our rendezvous place there was a sharp bend in the gravel road with a fairly large creek nearby.
Before we left, Grandpa handed me another granola bar and said “top off your water bottle. We need to get going before it gets too hot.” I put my new granola bar in my pack and replenished my water. Soon we were hiking west through some nice open timber on another good game trail. We were following a ridge and the walk was easy.
Soon Grandpa turned and started walking down slope slightly southward. We had not gone far when all of a sudden, the terrain changed. We came upon an old burned over area. The brush and small trees were very dense and there were old, downed trees stacked on top of each other. What a mess that was and it was extremely difficult to get through.
Grandpa and I were having a very difficult time moving forward and it was getting hotter. Going just a few feet was a major task. Sometimes, I would go under some fallen trees and sometimes I had to climb over them. When I got past one, there was more brush and more logs to climb through and over. My pack was always getting hung up on something.
Grandpa said we should be through the burned area shortly but two hours later we were still in it. My water was gone and so was my granola bar. Grandpa was hot and dry too. I told Grandpa I was getting thirsty and wanted to go back. Grandpa said that we can’t go back. We will have to go on because the truck is out in front of us now.”
I started to complain when Grandpa picked me up and situated me in his pack. I looked out over his shoulder and watched as we slowly moved ahead. I had to duck down many times as we passed by some nasty Alder bush or small bushy fir trees.
Soon, I said, “I hear something Grandpa. It sounds like running water.”
Grandpa said he heard it too and not long afterward we stepped out of the brush into a little open meadow. There was a spring bubbling up out of the ground right in the center of the tiny oasis. Grandpa sat me and his pack down and took out our water bottles.
“Can we drink this water, Grandpa,” I asked? Is it safe to drink?
“Blizzard this water is coming up out of the ground right here. It is very cold and fresh. It will be safe and uncontaminated.” Grandpa unscrewed the cap off of my water bottle and filled it for me. Oh, it tasted so very good. Cold mountain water on a hot day is very special. I thought for a moment and asked Grandpa if there was any better water in the world. He smiled and said he knew of none. “Never drink water out in the wild where it has been above ground very far or long unless you have a good filter,” he told me.
Grandpa and I rested there a few minutes. After refilling our water bottles, he said we need to keep going. I asked how far we had to go. He said we should be over halfway down to where Uncle Kent will be waiting. He then asked me if I was ready to hike on my own. I said I was ready to carry my own pack again.
Within a few minutes, Grandpa pointed out the standing tall timber not far away. We were through the old burn and back on easier ground in what seemed like no time. The hike was easy again.
When we came to the road, we were just above the creek, and the truck was in sight. Uncle Kent was walking around looking. He was starting to get worried about us.
When Grandpa and I stepped onto the road surface, Uncle Kent started walking our way. “I expected you two to be here a couple of hours ago. What kept you,” he said.
Grandpa said, “we were not prepared for the sea of brush, young trees and blown down timber we had to go through for about a mile and a half. I will not go there again for the biggest bull elk in North America. If he goes in there, I am just saying, ‘have a nice long life.’”
At that, Grandpa admitted he did not prepare well for what we would encounter. He had taken it for granted that everything would be an easy downhill hike. He knew better but just was not thinking. I learned a lot that day. We need to be extra careful hiking off the developed trails into unknow areas.
At that I was reminded of the verse in the twenty third Psalm where it says in verses 1-4, “The LORD is my shepherd; I have what I need. He lets me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside quiet waters. He renews my life; he leads me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for you are with me; your rod and your staff—they comfort me.”
This is a great Psalm of comfort. I would recommend you read all of it and memorize it.

Love:

Blizzard
Note: (Grandpa and I should have prepared by carrying extra water.)

[Swede]

WINTER DOLDRUMS

Winter had set in hard and for weeks the snow had piled up in our yard. It was fun going out sledding on our local play hill. Cyclone and I had worked hard with Grandpa keeping our driveway and sidewalks clear of snow. Still, it seemed like we stayed inside a lot and played games or jumped on the bed.
One afternoon, after Cyclone and I finished doing our schoolwork, I suggested we play a new game. “What is it Cyclone asked eagerly?” I told him it was called “Trick or Treat”. “Trick or Treat”, he replied? “What is Trick or Treat?”
I told him to go get his Halloween candy bag and I would get mine. We still had a lot of candy left over from Halloween. “We can sit on the bench near the front door where we take off our shoes,” I added.
When we were both seated on the bench, I told him to go first and say, “Trick or Treat,” to me. When he did, I reached into my candy bag and got out a bite sized Snickers bar and gave it to him. Then it was my turn to say “Trick or Treat” to him. This worked well until Grandma got wind of what we were doing.
When Grandma came up to us, she took both of our sacks and told us to go brush our teeth. Cyclone protested and said, “we will be having dinner soon. Why do we have to brush our teeth now?”
Grandma said, “Candy is hard on your teeth, and you know the rules when it comes to eating candy. You are supposed to get only one piece of candy each day. You get it after supper and then you go brush your teeth.”
I replied, “But you said we could only have one piece of our candy each day. When we play the Trick or Treat game, we do not eat any of our own candy.”
Grandma replied, “You boys know better than that. The Trick or Treat game is not a way around the candy rule. That rule is designed to protect your teeth and your health. I know one violation will not seriously harm you, but if carried on for a long term it will”. Then she said we would have to do without candy for the remainder of the day and also tomorrow.
Cyclone and I learned a couple of good lessons at that time. The first thing we learned was that Grandma and Grandpa are serious about their rules. The second is that those rules are for our own good. We actually discovered a third thing. Grandma is not easily fooled, as she looks out for her family.
Cyclone and I know we are blessed and quickly headed to the bathroom to brush our teeth.
Do you know that, like our parents, God has given us rules to live by. I did not intend to break or even bend Grandma’s rule. I just never gave her rule the consideration it deserves. The rules are a blessing for my pillow pals and me. I was not paying attention and thinking about the candy rule as we were having fun. Maybe you have done something similar.
Sometimes we may not understand why parents or God gave us rules to live by, but ultimately, they are for our good. If anyone thinks parents are good at finding out when we have not followed their rules; just remember, God knows it too. He knows everything.
Proverbs 15: 3 csb informs us, “The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, observing the wicked and the good.” Let us always be careful to observe God’s rules and our parent’s rules. They are given because they love us.

Love:

Blizzard

[Swede]

SNOW CAMP
It was late one morning on November 2nd, and I was at Grandma’s desk doing my favorite, math lesson. As I worked on a problem, Grandpa came into the piano room where I was. I looked up at him to see what was on his mind. To my surprise he asked if I would like to go with him to Cowboy Hank’s ranch.
I jumped at the chance! It did not take me half a second, or any thought to say, “Yes, when are we leaving!?”
“Whoa Buddy!” Grandpa replied. “We’ll leave tomorrow morning and should be gone for about four days. We will be staying with Cowboy Hank and his wife. I do not want to impose on him by bringing the whole family along, so it will be just the two of us, this time.”
“My answer is still ‘Yes’! Can we go over to elk camp, too? I would like to visit my squirrel buddies and see how they are doing.”
“Blizzard, I think we will have enough time to go up to elk camp and look things over, but you are in for a big surprise,” Grandpa answered. “We will need to leave here very early in the morning so we can come into camp from the north side; then we can be on our way to see Cowboy Hank. It will take some extra time to travel up there, plus we will need an extra hour to check out camp; it should be educational for you. Now finish your schoolwork and then pack some clothes. Don’t forget your little wood box and the personal items you keep in it. Be prepared to dress very warm and have your good boots ready to load into the truck by this afternoon. If you need help, Grandma or I will assist you.”

Wow! I could hardly wait! I went to bed dreaming of our trip to elk camp, but it was odd when I woke up; I was in a sleeping bag on the back seat of Grandpa’s big, red pickup. I rubbed my eyes as I realized we were far from home and on our way to camp. “Where are we Grandpa?” I asked, as I climbed over the passenger’s front seat to sit next to him?
“We are about three hours from home, Blizzy. We should be at camp in another four or five hours. Put on your boots, as we need to stop for breakfast just a little farther down the road,” Grandpa replied. “In the back seat there are some snacks and lunch, if you are very hungry.” I was doing well, but the thought of a big stack of pancakes, some sausage or bacon, and a big glass of milk, made my tummy start roaring!! “I will wait to have breakfast with you Grandpa”, I replied.

As it always is, the trip was long, but this time it was different. The further we went, the colder it got. There was no warm desert sun that whole day and as we went up the last mountain road, we started to see snow everywhere. As we continued up the mountain the snow just got deeper. I was pleased it was not snowing right then, but the sky was sure gloomy. Before we got to our elk camp, Grandpa and I had to put the tire chains on the pickup. We did that just to be on the safe side. I prayed for safety, as we drove up the mountain road. I think Grandpa did too.
When we finally arrived in midafternoon, I could hardly recognize the place. It was white everywhere. The trees were white. The ground was white and even the pond near camp was white. The forest also was eerily quiet.

After putting on our heavy coats and wool caps, Grandpa and I started walking around. It was cold, but we had warm jackets to keep us warm. As we walked around in the snow, we saw a Camp robber (a specie of bird) and a white “rabbit”. Grandpa said it was a Snowshoe hare. He told me they are brown in the summer but turn white in the winter. That was amazing! We also saw a set of dog tracks in the snow, but Grandpa informed me those tracks were made by a coyote. He said they like to hunt the hares for their food.
I finally asked Grandpa where all the squirrels were? “Why aren’t they out running around and playing?”
Grandpa said, “The Douglas (Pine) squirrels work hard in the warm summer and early fall, gathering and caching cones and other good things for them to eat. Now, their work is finished for the year. They have hidden their food in several locations near their nests. They do a lot of sleeping in the winter and stay under the snow. In the summer they often cache their cones in piles of discarded cone scales, called “middens”. They also cache cones in bogs, springs, and other moist places so they will have an easy food supply for the winter and into the next year. It will last them until a new abundant crop of food arrives.
“Blizzard, do you remember watching the squirrels while we were elk hunting? You saw how they cut cones and how those cones dropped out of the trees. Then the squirrels would gather up their cones and carry them away in their mouth. Sometimes another squirrel would come and try to steal one of their cones. That was a NO-NO! The squirrel that cut the cone would then chase the suspected thief over the ground, along logs and up and down the trees. The chase was on! They were faster than racing cars! You didn’t know where they’d end up. The suspected thief would try to run away while the owner of the cone would scold it unceasingly. They were a lot of fun to watch, but it was all business as usual for the squirrels.”

We hiked and looked around the frozen landscape for over an hour. After learning where the squirrels were, I told Grandpa I was getting cold. Grandpa said it was time for us to be heading to Cowboy Hank’s camp. “It’ll be dark within an hour so let’s walk over to the truck and head back down the mountain. Knock off the snow from your boots before you get inside.”
While we were leaving my beloved camp site, I looked around for one last glimpse of the wonderful sight. I was glad and thankful for the squirrels who teach us much. “Grandpa!”, I exclaimed, “What you told me about the Pine squirrels reminds me of something Proverbs 10:5 tells us. It says, ‘The son who gathers during summer is prudent; the son who sleeps during harvest is disgraceful’.’’
Dear friends. I think we should all be a lot like the hard-working squirrels I saw in the forest.

Love:

Blizzard

[Swede]

RUNNING AWAY

One late morning, I knew I should have been working on my school lessons, but I just could not get my mind to focus on them. It was nice and warm outside, and the birds seemed to be having a good time, chirping and playing around. But here I was just sitting on the sofa, feeling sad, disappointed and a little bit upset with God. I found myself thinking about my latest hunting adventure and the difficult weeks when I’d been away with Grandpa. Now I felt all alone. Grandpa was gone to church, working on some project.
While on our hunting adventure, climbing steep and rugged slopes, we experienced days with every kind of weather imaginable. When we left for our hunt, it was on a hot day in August, but before we got back home it was nearly October. We did long hikes on very hot days. We had days when it rained and even snowed on us. Nights in the tent could be warm or cold and damp. Sometimes we had thunder and lightning with wind so hard that I thought our tent might just blow away, leaving us unprotected or even taking us with it! Yikes!
Through it all, Grandpa and I prayed for God’s care as well as for Him to provide us with an elk which we were trying so hard to get. We knew God was watching over us, but in spite of all of our prayers and efforts, all I got were some blisters and fatigue; much fatigue.
Grandpa never left me in camp alone. The two times when Uncle Kent came up to camp, I got to stay there with him. Then there were the two half day trips we made to town to restock on food and a few other supplies. Only then did I get some extra rest from hiking so much. I like hiking with Grandpa, but sometimes we both forget that I’m just a little pillow and I tire out easily.
Now as I sat on the sofa, I was really feeling sorry for myself and blaming it on God for not giving us an elk.
Just when I thought I better pick up my school lessons and do some reading, Cyclone came up to me and asked if it was a good time to get our basketball out and play a little Horse game. I really didn’t feel much like it. I felt like my head was dragging off my neck, but I still stood up and shrugged my shoulders and said, “I guess”; then we walked out to put on our play shoes.
“Blizzard, what is wrong with you!?”, Cyclone asked, as he watched me. “You are just not yourself. What is wrong?” I just looked down and said, “I don’t know. Let's just go play the game”. I had an “R” on me while Cyclone did not have his first letter, so I handed him the basketball and said I need to go inside now.
That morning, all during and after our regular Bible study and prayer time, which I usually love, I had been focused so much on myself that I had not noticed that Grandma, Bertha and Bella were baking something in the oven. When I got back inside from playing Horse with Cyclone, the smell of cookies hit me.
When Bella walked by, I asked her what they were making. She said they were baking a peach pie and a berry pie.
That was when I lost it. I accused her, Grandma and Bertha of not caring for their little Blizzard. “You all know I love cherry pie, so why did you not make me one!? Grandpa and I just back from a very hard trip and you did not think to make us a special pie? That’s it! I am running away! I can’t take any more of this!” I was so upset I felt tears welling up in my eyes.
Bella ran back into the kitchen crying! Grandma had heard what I said and came out to talk with me. She didn’t get anywhere. It was no use. I was leaving! So, then Grandma told Bertha to pack me a good lunch.
Grandma then went into the closet and brought out my good duffle bag and started placing some of my clothes inside. I got my little box where I keep my personal hygiene things, personal letters and valentines.
Suddenly, I realized I was making a big mistake, but it was too late. I had to go through with my decision. When Bertha handed me my lunch, I put it in the duffle bag and started walking away. Grandma asked me if I was even going to say good-bye and give everyone a hug. I looked down sadly and nodded my head.
Bella was still crying and Cyclone looked like he had lost everything he ever cared about. Grandma and Bertha just looked sad and disappointed as I slowly walked out. I did not look up much because I felt terribly sad, too.
Ater hugging all of them, I slowly walked out the door. As I left, I turned my head and very softly I whispered, “Goodbye.” I put on my play shoes and headed out of the garage. The world seemed totally different right them and I am not sure why. The beauty I had loved so much was all gone now. I felt like crying too, but even that seemed impossible.
As I walked away from home, a man in his car honked at me because I was walking in the middle of his lane. I was lost in my thoughts, not paying attention or looking ahead. I really did not like the thought of what may lay ahead of this adventure.
A lady stopped her car and asked if I wanted a ride. I just shook my head, so she drove on. I was over a mile down the Old Ridge Road when I saw a big red truck heading me way!
It was Grandpa! He pulled off the road just past me. I turned around and ran up to the truck. He opened the passenger side door and said, “What are you doing out here with your duffle bag, buddy?”
“I have ruined my life Grandpa and I am running away,” I replied. I told him all that had happened and why I was disappointed with God and my family. “They don’t seem to care for me much, anymore,” I added.
So, Grandpa shut off the engine and started talking to me. He explained that God does love me and that all of my family loves me too. That does not mean that we always get everything we want or ask for. We also need to learn to be loving, understanding and even forgiving. Asking God for something, even saying “in Jesus’ name”; isn't saying some magic words.
Grandpa went on to explain that when we pray ‘In Jesus’ name”, we want what He wants for us and recognize that He has our best interest at heart. He is wise and caring. He supplies all of our needs and wants us to trust Him for His continued care. “Now, are you doing that Blizzard?”, he asked? (Read John 14: 13-15)
I thought about what Grandpa said. “I’ve been foolish and selfish, Grandpa. Can I go home with you now. I feel terrible about how I have behaved. Can you forgive me?”
Grandpa prayed with me and told me I was still his partner. I asked God to forgive me for ever doubting His love and care for me. Grandpa then set me on his lap as we returned home. Going home was different this time. I had learned a hard lesson. I knew then, more fervently and deeply that God loves me and so does all of my family.
Let me share a special verse of scripture that summaries what I should have been thinking on when I let my emotions get the better of me. Philippians 4: 19 reminds us, “And my God will supply all your needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

Love:

Blizzard

P.S. I let my emotions get the best of me. I will be more careful in the future and never do that again. I will never run away either. I love my Lord Jesus and all of my family.
When I got home Grandma and all of my pillow pals welcomed me back with a Great Big Hug. We had a great time that day. I gave my sandwich to Grandpa for his lunch, and I got a little one plus a big slice of delicious peach pie covered with ice cream.
BTW: I found out later that Grandma had called Grandpa as soon as I left the house and told him to come get me. My family really loves and watches out for me.

Grandpa falling tree.jpg (69.54 KiB) Viewed 33 times

[Lefty]

I need to get back to this,,when Im more awakemm\\