The Blessing Of Family · The Blessing of Family 3 Michelle Lores This Book is Dedicated to: Jorge,...

The Blessing

Of

Family

Michelle Lores

The Blessing of Family

2

Michelle Lores

Copyright © 2017 by Michelle Lores

All Paintings


All Illustrations



By Michelle Lores

All rights reserved solely by the author. The

author guarantees all contents are original and do

not infringe upon the legal rights of any other

person or work. No part of this book may be

reproduced in any form without the permission of

the author.

Scripture quotations taken from the New King

James Version (NKJV). Copyright © 1982 by

Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All

rights reserved.


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This Book is Dedicated to:

Jorge, my Love,

Mama and Daddy, Michael and Jenn,

& Ariana and Lucas

Where would I be without my family?

I would be lost and out to sea.

God has blessed me with you, and I love you so!

God uses each one of you to help me grow.

God’s love is the bond, holding us together like

glue.

And I am so thankful for each and every one of you!

I love you!


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~Bonita~

~Every Life is Beautiful~


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Contents

1 Farmer George’s Quiet Time

2 Henry—An Everyday Hero

3 Martha the Blessing—A Woman of

Excellence

4 Brothers and Sisters—An Auntie Netta

Story

5 Jenny and Paco’s First Christmas

6 Penelope Pelican

7 Elephants Like Jelly

8 The Children of My Heart

9 Saturdays with Farmer George

10 Knowing Jesus and God’s Love for Yourself


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~As for Me and My House,

We Will Serve the Lord~


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1

Farmer George’s Quiet Time

Every morning, Farmer George woke up

before the first rooster crowed to do all of the

chores. But before breakfast, Farmer George took a

tall glass of freshly squeezed orange juice to his

wrap-around front porch and sat in his favorite

white rocking chair. He set his juice on the little

table next to his rocker and opened his Bible, which

he had also brought with him.

If you ask Farmer George, he will tell you

that this is the most important part of his day. It is

this time when Farmer George spends time just


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being in God’s presence, listening to God, praising

Him, and requesting wants and needs for himself

and those he knows, with a heart full of

thanksgiving.

As Farmer George sat talking to God and

reading God’s Word, the Bible, something

wonderful happened every day, no matter what—

the sun came up! Every day when the sun came

up, a new day began. To Farmer George, this was

yet another reason to give thanks to his glorious

God!

After the sun came up, Farmer George’s

favorite moment of the morning arrived. It was the

moment that the sun hit the spot in the sky where

it shined right through the leaves of the big maple

tree in front of the right side of his porch. Farmer

George waited for this moment every day—for to

him, the beautiful golden green of the illuminated

leaves was like a little piece of heaven.

The light of the sun shining through the

leaves and making them glow reminded him to


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pray for the spiritual growth of those he knew—and

for himself, too!

After the sun had inched higher in the sky,

Farmer George knew that it was now time to end

his quiet time and start his day. He knew that

without that time with God every day, he would be

a mess. He needed to spend time alone with his

Savior, being refreshed, renewed, and strengthened

for another day—for Farmer George knew

something about himself that many others did

not—he was not naturally kind.

Farmer George needed God’s help in the

form of God’s grace in order for him to have the

ability to be kind, patient, and loving from his

heart. Yes, this morning quiet time was the most

important part of Farmer George’s day. Why?

Because in those moments of quiet spent with his

Lord Jesus, he received love poured into his heart

by God as he spoke to his Lord in prayer, listened

to God quietly, and read God’s Word.

Farmer George’s quiet time is when his love

battery was recharged for a whole new day. You


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see, God’s mercies are new every morning

(Lamentations 3:22-23), and we need that

wonderful mercy to renew us every day.

Do you spend time with God every day,

talking to Him, listening to Him, praising Him, and

reading His Word? What a difference it makes to

lay your heart open before God and just be in His

presence! We just cannot live an abundant life

without being connected to the One who gives it—

Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God (John 15).

May many, many blessings be upon you and

your family as you pursue Christ Jesus every day

in all you do! In Jesus’ Name, Amen!


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~Going Home~


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2

Henry—An Everyday Hero

Meet Henry. He was a quiet individual who

loved his wife and family. He didn’t talk much

about the things inside his heart, but God saw

Henry’s heart, and He was pleased with Henry’s

intentions.

The truth was that Henry loved God, he

wanted to please Him, and he had a true desire to

love others the way that God loved him.

Henry had worked his way up in his job over

the years. He had moved up to a place of influence,

but he knew what it was like to have next to

nothing.


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Henry had a big heart and a desire to please

God that really showed up in his workplace. Henry

took care of those who worked for him. He worked

hard to make sure that the workplace was a fair

place to work for everyone, and he prayed and

looked for opportunities to show God’s love in real

and tangible ways to his employees.

God did not disappoint him.

When Henry’s employee, Judy, had a serious

issue at home with her teenage daughter and she

needed some extra time off, Henry extended grace

as much as he possibly could. It saved Judy’s job,

her daughter’s life, and made a forever faithful

employee out of Judy.

When another employee named Sam was

drowning in gambling debt and his life was being

ruined by alcohol, Henry offered life coaching

sessions to Sam. At first, Sam rejected it, but when

he realized he needed the help, he accepted Henry’s

offer, and his life was turned around.


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When Jimmy, a young man, joined the

business, Henry took him under his wing and

taught him a great deal about the inner workings

of the job. But what many never knew was that

Henry counseled and coached Jimmy through

several personal issues as well.

And the stories went on and on… Even

outside of his job, Henry looked for opportunities to

help those in need. No one ever knew how much he

did, because he did not ever talk about it—but God

knew.

Henry believed in living out the love he had

inside—and he did it every day. It made all the

difference in the world to a sea of people that so

many—including his own family—never knew

about.

Henry was an everyday, unknown hero—but

that was okay with Henry. Henry held the titles of

“Husband” to his wife, “Father” to his kids, and

“Grampa” to his grandkids. That was who God had

called him to be. Henry didn’t need any titles

fancier than that. To him, those were the highest


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titles a man could hold. For Henry, being the

loving head of his God-given home would always be

enough for him.


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~A Celebration of Life~


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3

~Martha the Blessing~

A Woman of Excellence

Martha worked hard every day. She did the

little things that go unnoticed by so many of us

until a time in our lives when we realize what

really matters. Martha was a homemaker—a wife

and the mother to two children.

Between all of the loads of laundry she did

every day, the lunches she packed every week, the

meals she prepared, the miles she drove, and the

errands she ran, she had little to no time for

herself.


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But there was something special about

Martha. She actually enJOYed doing what she did.

She saw her God-given purpose in the tasks she

performed every day, and she did them with a

heart full of love for her husband and her kids.

Martha had a secret weapon that kept her

focused on what was important and enabled her to

remember why she did what she did. That weapon

was prayer.

Martha started every day before everyone

was up, and she spent some quiet moments with

God, listening to Him, and reading His Word. This

set her day off right, and she was able to spend the

rest of the day aware of God’s presence with her.

As she went about her day, she continued to pray.

When Martha was cleaning the toilets, she

thanked God. When she was washing the dishes,

she prayed for her kids. When she was making the

beds, she prayed over her marriage. Every day, all

day, she prayed. She was in constant

communication with her Heavenly Father.


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Martha sang, too. She sang praises, and she

sang songs expressing her needs to the Lord.

Martha prayed about all sorts of things, and

Martha prayed all of the time. This kept her going

every day and fueled her joy, for she remained in

God’s presence.

Martha found that when she did not pray all

day, her joy was missing, and she lost sight of her

purpose and the reason why she did what she did.

Years went by, but for Martha, her tasks

stayed the same. The kids grew up and moved out,

each starting their own family, but Martha

continued to serve her husband every day, loving

him by providing him with a comfortable, clean

home and good meals prepared with a heaping dose

full of LOVE.

Martha continued to pray through her days.

One day, though, Martha could not shake a feeling

of sadness. She recognized where her thoughts

were headed, but she couldn’t seem to help herself.


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She began to have thoughts of being under-

appreciated.

“I have always given so much every day,

Lord,” she prayed. Is it too much to ask that my

family would notice?” Martha sniffed as a tear

rolled down her cheek. “Just once, if they could

only recognize all I do. Just once, Lord. Just once.”

That day, Martha cried to God as she did her

work. God showed her as the day went on that He

saw everything that she did, and He asked her to

continue to do it all for Him with love and

thanksgiving in her heart for her God.

God reminded her of all that He had given

her, and she cried some more. She knew that God

had always been faithful and that He loved her. He

didn’t ask her to love others when she received

something back. He asked her simply to love.

And so she did. Even when her heart hurt,

Martha loved.

Ten years later found Martha healthy,

strong, and full of joy and thanksgiving. She still


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worked hard every day—doing her work for God—

and loving her husband, kids, and grandkids with

her actions, words, and prayers.

This day was special. It happened to be

Martha’s birthday, and she was turning sixty years

old! She started her day with Jesus and then put

on the coffee for Jim before he headed off to work.

With a special twinkle in his eye, Jim gave

her a kiss on the cheek before he left and wished

her “Happy Birthday.”

“See you later, Honey,” he said as she closed

the door. With a smile and a special warmth in her

heart, Martha went to go clean their bathroom.

At noon, a surprise arrived on Martha’s

doorstep in the form of two dozen lovely peach-

colored roses—Martha’s favorite flower! In the

card was a note from her husband:

“Happy Birthday, Honey! I appreciate all you do.

I love you!”

~Proverbs 31:28-29~


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Martha began to weep when she read the

card. Her prayer from so many years ago was

being answered.

That weekend, Martha celebrated her

sixtieth birthday with her husband, her children,

and grandkids. While she was at her son’s house,

her daughter, Katie, came up to her and said,

“Mom, I never gave you enough credit growing up.

You did so much for us, and you still do. Every day,

you just have this amazing joy, and you always

have. I know you are always praying for me, and

that just makes such a difference in my life. I love

you, Mom! You are such a special blessing!” Katie

finished by giving her mom a huge hug.

Matt heard his sister, and came over, too,

saying, “Yeah, Mom. You put up with a lot and

never got any thanks. I respect you so much for

that. You showed me what I should look for in a

wife. You are a precious jewel of a mom! I love

you!” Matt said as he pulled Martha into a huge

bear hug.


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“Now, who wants some cake?” Matt asked as

he crossed his eyes at his little girl and everyone

laughed.

That night, as Martha was lying awake next

to her already sleeping husband, she prayed this

prayer, “Dear Lord, You are Amazing! Thank You.

Thank You that my family loves me. Thank You

that all these years were not wasted, and thank

You that they are learning to walk with You in

their own families. Oh, thank You, Dear Lord.

Continue to use me every day that I am alive. I

will love You, I will trust You, for I have committed

to You my life. Thank You for calling me to know

You and to serve my family in this way. Oh, Lord, I

love You. Keep me faithful to Your heart and Your

ways for as long as I live. In Jesus’ Name I pray,

Amen.”

~


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Proverbs 31:28-29 (NKJV)

“Her children rise up and call her blessed; her

husband also, and he praises her: ‘Many daughters

have done well, but you excel them all.’”


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~Happy Sailing~


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4

~Brothers and Sisters~

An Auntie Netta Story

My Dearest Jollee and Ned,

Today I want to share with you some more of

my memories—especially the ones that include my

little brother—your father.

When I was growing up, my brother, Ray,

was my playmate often, someone I argued with at

times, and my really good friend. We did a lot

together when we were young. We played many

made-up games! Ray has a wonderful imagination,


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and he was always very creative—that creativity

led to worlds of fun!

Ray used to build forts underneath the

kitchen table. Have you guys ever done that? He

would take some light blue sheets that we had and

use heavy objects like big books to hold down the

edge of the sheet on the table while the rest of the

sheet hung down like a tent. It was so much fun! I

remember playing in those forts with him, and he

also used to play in his self-made forts for hours by

himself. It was his own special place.

Around Christmas time or at birthdays, our

family would use a lot of wrapping paper, and

something that was always left over was wrapping

paper rolls. Now I’m not sure whose idea it was

originally to start this game—whether it was my

Dad’s or my brother’s—but whenever we had those

long tubular, thin cardboard rolls, we would have

sword fights with them. Everyone in the family

joined in—but it was my Dad, my brother and me

who played the most. It was a blast! We would hit

each other’s “sword” repeatedly until our own


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“sword” came apart. We even got a few swipes in at

each other—but don’t worry—no one got hurt!

We played many other games together, too—

water gun fights, nerf gun wars, laser tag in the

house, cowboys, and water balloon fights.

Ray and I did not always get along, however.

Sometimes he would get me into trouble—

sometimes we would argue over silly things—

sometimes we just got on each other’s nerves. But

you know what? We still loved each other, and as

we grew up, we continued to do things together.

When Ray and I were in high school, I used

to hang out with him and his friends when they

came over to our house. I remember enjoying

making them sandwiches and just hanging out

with “the guys”.

Once we got to college, Ray was one of my

best friends. My other best friend was a young

lady, and the three of us spent a lot of time

together. My best friend and Ray ended up falling

in love and—guess what? They got married! Yes,


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my best friend in college was Victoria—your

mother.

In high school and college, I went through

some hard times. My brother, Ray, was such a

strong support for me during those times, and

that’s how he became one of my best friends. No

one else could have been there for me like Ray was.

He really took care of me. He saw my need, and he

met it. I looked up to him after that and thought

the world of him. Ray grew from being a special

little boy to being an amazing, caring, and

thoughtful young man.

My dear Jollee and Ned, I write these words

to you not just to tell you more about your father. I

want you to notice something: my relationship

with my brother.

I have many memories of growing up with

Ray. I wish though, that I had never looked at Ray

as someone to compete with for attention or

someone to be jealous of. And I wish that I hadn’t

wasted time bossing him around, telling him what

to do, or yelling at him when we were children.


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Thankfully, even though I made many mistakes as

a young person, God still blessed me with a

wonderful friendship with my brother that

continues to grow to this day.

The truth is, when we are young and

growing up, we make many mistakes—that is how

we learn. But, my dears, please recognize your

mistakes when you make them and choose to learn

from them so you can mature and grow.

Having a brother or a sister—or more than

one—is a blessing.

Be patient with each other.

Give each other space and time alone when

one or both of you are getting annoyed.

Enjoy the fun times you have when you play

together.

Take time to get to know each other, listen to

one another, and be someone who your brother or

sister can always count on.

Always be ready to forgive.


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Above all, let each other know by your words

and your actions that you love one another. The

way you treat each other will be the most powerful

expression of love you can give. We as people made

by God to love and be loved also need to hear the

words, “I love you,” spoken out loud. Together,

these two expressions of love are a winning

combination.

I love you so much, my dears. I pray for you

every day, and my prayer for you today is that you

would treasure one another—and your mom and

dad, too. Take time with one another to develop

strong bonds of love. Those bonds will help you get

through tough times in life.

You are blessed to have such a wonderful

family, my dear Jollee and Ned. There are those

who do not have a family of their own—God has

given them a different kind of life to live. But those

children can still be a part of and treasure the

members of God’s family—and no one will ever be

able to take that from them.


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Love each other, dear ones—love each other

as God loves you—even when it’s hard and you may

not want to. In those times, go to God and ask Him

to give you the love you need to love your brother or

sister the way God wants you to.

Let me tell you a little secret—you will

always need God’s help to love others like He

does—so keep talking to Him in prayer all day long.

I send this letter with all of my love to you—

my two special dears who mean more to me than

you will ever know.

Love forever,

Your

~Auntie Netta~


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~Sunrise on the Hills~


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5

Jenny and Paco’s First Christmas

“Here, Paco! Come here, boy!” Jenny called

to her adorable pug puppy. Paco snorted excitedly

as he trotted over to Jenny’s crouching form.

“Today is my first day of Christmas vacation,

Paco, and we have lots to do! There are Christmas

presents to wrap, Christmas cookies to eat, and

Christmas specials to watch! Let’s get started!”

“Ruff! Ruff!” Paco barked. He was just as

excited as Jenny, because being with her was his

favorite occupation.


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“Alright…first on the list is wrapping the

Christmas presents! Let’s get some Christmas

paper out, Paco!” Jenny said.

“Ruff!” Paco replied. His paws padded on

the floor as he followed closely behind Jenny.

“Now let’s see,” Jenny thought aloud, “We’ll

need paper, scissors, tape, bows, tags, and pens to

write on the tags. Oh! And one more thing! Let’s

put on some Christmas music, too!” Jenny said

energetically as she danced over to select her

favorite music.

Paco wagged his little curly tail back and

forth. His small pink tongue was hanging out of

his mouth, and he was as happy as could be. This

Christmas thing was fun stuff! As Jenny wrapped

presents and hummed along to her favorite

Christmas tunes, Paco trotted here, there and all

around her, helping out where he could and making

Jenny laugh. They were a great team.

When Jenny and Paco were finished

wrapping Christmas presents, Jenny positioned


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them underneath the beautiful tree. Paco

continued to help out by nudging the presents

further into place with his scrunched up little nose.

“Wasn’t that fun, Paco?”

“Ruff! Ruff!” Paco jumped at Jenny’s legs

and Jenny reached down to scoop him up into her

arms. She gave him a kiss and brought him close

to her face, so he could give her lots of kisses, too.

“I love you, Paco!” Jenny said as she hugged

Paco close.

“Rrruff!” Paco replied with great

enthusiasm.

“Now for some cookies! You want a treat

boy?” Jenny asked in a tone that Paco knew well.

“Yip! Yip!” Paco started wriggling so much

and getting so excited that Jenny laughed and set

him down.

“Alright,” Jenny smiled, “Christmas cookies

for me and special treats for you.”


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Paco was beside himself with excitement!

He was barking and jumping and barking some

more. He LOVED treats!

Jenny went to the kitchen with Paco close on

her heels. She went to the cabinet where she kept

Paco’s teats and took one out.

“Alright. Sit up, boy.”

Paco happily obeyed, and Jenny tossed him

the treat.

“Good boy!” she said as Paco jumped up and

caught the treat in mid-air. As he was crunching

away on his little biscuit, Jenny found the sugar

cookies that her mother had baked.

“Oh, look, Paco! These cookies are just

beautiful! I bet they’re yummy, too. I think I’ll

take this red bell and the green tree, and I’ll get

some milk, too.”

Paco was quite busy at the moment with his

treat, so he did not reply. But Jenny did not mind

in the least. She was having the greatest day! She


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put her two cookies on a Christmas plate, poured

herself a giant glass of ice-cold milk, and settled

down at the kitchen table.

When Paco was finished eating his treat, he

ran excitedly to Jenny’s side to see if she had

anything else for him. Jenny laughed and said,

“Okay, boy. Just this once. Since it’s Christmas

time, I’ll give you another one.”

“Ruff! Ruff!” Paco barked and wagged his

adorable tail. He was quite pleased. When Jenny

gave him his second treat, he ate it happily. When

he was finished, he settled down at Jenny’s feet

and waited for her to finish her snack.

As Jenny was cleaning up, she said, “Are you

ready to watch a Christmas special, Paco?”

“Ruff!” Paco replied. He did not know what

was coming next, but as long as he was with Jenny,

he knew that he would like it.

“We are going to watch a special about Jesus

being born!” Jenny said as they moved into the

family room.


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Once they were all settled in and watching

the Christmas special, Jenny gave Paco a big

squeeze and said, “I love you, Paco! What a great

first day of vacation! I’ll never forget it!”

But Paco did not respond this time. He was

sound asleep, snoring happily as he dreamed of his

wonderful day with Jenny.


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~Penelope Pelican~


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6

Penelope Pelican

Penelope the Pelican

Was a really funny bird.

She loved pretty people things,

And for a bird, that was a bit absurd.

But one day her focus changed

When Penelope lost her way.

A special friend came along

Who had a lot to say.


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On a day when Penelope was flying

And fishing for shiny people things,

She somehow lost her way

And grew tired of using her wings.

As she was floating

On top of the sea,

She daydreamed of her comfy pillow

And of her nest with beautiful things.

All of a sudden, a sea turtle

Came up to get some air.

His name was Sam,

And he was patient, kind, and fair.


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Sam noticed Penelope,

Who had a far-off look in her eye.

But she didn’t notice him,

For she was about ready to cry.

“Excuse me, Miss Pelican,” Sam asked,

But what is the matter?”

Penelope cried, “I’m missing the shore

And my fresh coconut water!

“There’s nothing out here

Of interest to me.

I’ve lost my way—

Oh can’t you see?


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“I miss my home

And all my bracelets—

My comfy pillow

And my lip glosses and necklaces.

“Oh, can’t you see?

I don’t belong out here.

I belong at home

Where all my comforts are near.”

Penelope moaned

As she hung her head.

But Sam the sea turtle

Looked at her and smiled instead.


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“Excuse me, Miss Pelican,

I may not be able to fly like you,

But I see a lesson here

For you to learn that’s true.

“You see, you were created

To live life of a different kind.

To go out and explore—

To look for fish and find…

“That life can be such a joy

When we live to be who God made us.

God has a plan for you,

And He made you for a purpose.


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“Seek to please your Maker

And you will see it’s true

That God truly does know

What is best for you.

“And by the way, you will find

It’s simple to get back home.

It is right that way,

In the same direction from which you’ve come.

“Any time we take our eye

Off of what’s important in life,

We will lose our way,

And end up with great strife.


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“But do not be afraid—

God will lead you home.

Just follow Him today,

And don’t be afraid to trust Him and to hope.”

Well Penelope just blinked

And looked at Sam,

Letting all of his words

Just sink in.

She realized what he said made sense.

She needed to be who God made her to be.

To be the pelican He created

For all the world to see.


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She decided Sam was right,

And so she flew away,

Determining that moment

To follow God from now on and always.

She knew she would need God’s help,

For only He can create lasting change.

Yet she knew she could count on her Creator

Who is Great and made all things!


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7

Elephants Like Jelly

Elephants like jelly,

Except for one, you see.

Morrison likes jam—

Because jam has crunchy seeds.

You see, elephants like peanuts,

As everybody knows.

And what goes better with peanuts

Than jelly that sticks to your nose?


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~Morrison Likes Jam~


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But Morrison—he was different,

As I mentioned before.

Morrison liked the seeds in jam.

He liked the extra crunch they gave even more.

A sticky trunk with crunchy seeds in jam

With a peanut on the side

Was Morrison’s idea of his favorite meal.

To him, it was close to paradise.


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~Morrison the Elephant~


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Well, one day Morrison’s trainer, Jim,

Didn’t bring him jam.

Morrison just threw a fit.

He stomped his feet until Jim gently raised his

hands.

Now Morrison’s trainer, Jim,

Had raised him up from birth.

He knew Morrison well

And he saw a lesson here of great worth.

He came near to Morrison

And gently touched his face.

He whispered softly in his ear.

Morrison’s upset feelings to replace.


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“Now Morrison, I know you love jam

With all the seeds and crunch,

But today I brought you something else

On which to snack and munch.

“You see, the store was out of jam—

It seems another elephant likes it too.

We must learn to share with him.

Now jam is not only liked by you.

“One thing more to learn here

Is that we don’t always get what we want.

Sometimes God has a better plan

In mind and in store for us.”


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Well, Morrison was really bummed,

But when he thought about it,

He saw that Trainer Jim was right

And Morrison needed to trust him.

Morrison also thought

About God, His Creator.

God must know what He is doing.

After all, He is the Great Maker.

If God really cared

About the little things that Morrison liked,

And if God knew the best for him,

Then Morrison should trust God and not fight.


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So Morrison quieted down

And picked up the snack Jim had brought.

He could at least try it

And make the best of it with a happy thought.

What Trainer Jim had brought

Was indeed a special treat!

It was peanut brittle—

The crunchiest of candy sweets!

Morrison really loved it!

I mean—he really did!

He had found a new treat to enjoy,

And to Morrison, it wasn’t just for kids!


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~Peanut Brittle~


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Morrison the elephant went to sleep

That night in happy peace.

He not only had a happy tummy,

But he knew he would have happy dreams.

For Morrison had learned a lesson

That came from up above.

It was a lesson of contentment

And of God’s special care and love.

To be thankful to God no matter what you have

Is what Morrison learned that day.

He learned that there is always a reason to be

thankful,

For we have God’s love to show us the Way.


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Such a great lesson

Came from such a simple thing—

But to Morrison, it was important.

God’s care for him had made Morrison’s heart

really sing.


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~My Heart is Full~


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8

The Children of My Heart

From a bed

Of fertile soil

Blooms a love that grows—

Anointed by the Holy Spirit’s oil.

It is a love for the children of my heart

Whom I have not met—

For the children whom

God has kept…


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For us to love

And nurture so

That in His love

They may grow.

That they may grow up strong

In God’s Love

And know His treasures

From up above.

Lord, bless our children,

And let them know—

We are waiting for them.

May they not give up hope!

~


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~The Gift of Life is Beautiful~


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9

Saturdays with Farmer George

Do you remember Farmer George from our

first story? Let me tell you another story about

Farmer George.

Farmer George had big sun-warmed hands,

worn from years of hard work. He wore faded gray

overalls, a bright red bandanna to cover his neck,

and a floppy straw hat to cover his head.

Farmer George lived on a small farm in the

country. He had a very large garden plot where he

grew all sorts of vegetables. He also had two goats.


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The biggest part of Farmer George’s farm

was his chicken coops. He had 5 of them, for

Farmer George was a chicken farmer. He raised

roosters, sold eggs, and sold hens to others wanting

to start their own chicken farm. In his mind, there

was always enough business to go around in

Mayfare County for extra chicken and eggs.

Farmer George was a kind and generous

man. He was in his fifties now, but he had never

lost that twinkle in his sparkling blue eyes.

Farmer George had a tan, weathered face that was

well-wrinkled from years of smiling and hair that

was a salt and pepper gray.

Kids from miles around loved to visit Farmer

George’s chicken farm every Saturday morning.

The kids woke their parents up early in the

morning, so they could go to his farm.

Every Saturday when the kids came, Farmer

George let each child take an egg from underneath

one of his egg-laying hens. The kind farmer would

then take the eggs that the children had helped to


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gather and make a huge breakfast of farm-fresh

eggs and flapjacks (otherwise known as pancakes).

After breakfast, the kids and their families

would gather on and around the large yellow

farmhouse’s white wrap-around porch. It was time

for the Bible story! Farmer George would read the

story from the Bible and then talk about what they

had read with the children and their families.

After everyone had asked their questions, Farmer

George asked everyone for prayer requests and

closed out their time in prayer, promising to

continue in prayer for those requests that had been

mentioned.

You should have seen every child’s face as

they listened to Farmer George read the Bible!

They listened to every word he said with rapt

attention.

Why?

Because he lived what he taught.

Farmer George loved his neighbors—and the

kids just loved him for it! He lived out what Jesus


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told us to do—to love God with all your heart, mind

and strength—and to love your neighbor as

yourself. Farmer George also gave what he had

from his farm, inviting others to his home in order

to share with them the love that had changed his

life—the transforming love of Jesus Christ.

We all have a story when we come to know

Jesus. What is yours? Are you sharing God’s love

with those in need?

God bless you, dear one,

As you and your family live a life of love,

With Jesus Christ at the center—

Ruling your hearts from within and up above!


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~From Death to Life~


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10

Knowing Jesus and God’s

Love

For Yourself

Do you know that God loves you? Did you

know that God made you for a special

reason? He loves you very much.

The Bible says that every good and perfect

gift is from above—from God, the Heavenly

Father (James 1:17). Can you think of some

good things in your life? Those are some


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ways that God is showing you that He loves

you.

God’s biggest gift to you is Jesus. God sent

His only Son Jesus to earth to live, die a

cruel death on a cross, and be raised to life

from the dead—because He loves you, and

He wants you to know Him personally so you

can live with Him forever one day.

You see, every person does wrong things,

which are called sin, and deserves to be

punished forever—but when we receive

Jesus as our Lord, our sin is forgiven,

because Jesus died in our place. Jesus lived

the only perfect life, and that is why He

could take our place and suffer the

punishment we deserve.

Now that Jesus is alive in Heaven with God

after being raised from the dead, Jesus offers

to cover our wrongdoing and give us the only

way to heaven and the only way to come


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before God and have a relationship with

Him.

If you want to receive God’s love, ask God to

forgive you for your sins, and turn from the

wrong you have done.

Believe in your heart that Jesus is God’s Son

and that God raised Him from the dead, and

acknowledge Him as Lord of your life both in

your heart and before others.

Be baptized in obedience to God’s Word.

By answering God’s call to believe in and

love Jesus, you will become God’s child, God

will become your Heavenly Father, and you

will be saved from God’s eternal punishment

in hell.

God’s love will now be yours to live in and

share with others.


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As God’s child, you will have His Holy Spirit

living inside of you and He will fill you with

lots of love to share with others. You will

have a Heavenly Father to call upon

whenever you need help to love a difficult

person or whenever you need help with

anything at all—big or small.

God is Love.

Is He drawing you to Himself?

Come to Him, for He made you, He knows

you better than anyone else, and He loves

you more than anyone else. He knows

everything you have ever done wrong, and

He still loves you more than anyone else ever

could. He wants you to know His deep, deep

love for you.

Those who come to God are called by Him

(John 6:44; Acts 2:39).


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Come to Him, so that you can know His Love

and so that you can live your life with

Someone who will never leave you. Once you

are His child, He has promised to be with

you always, so there will never be a reason

for you to fear. (Matthew 28:20; Hebrews

13:5)

Come place your trust in Jesus, and know

that He is always near.


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~Heavenly Dreams~


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Michelle Lores

Writes what God puts on her heart for the purpose

of producing materials that build up and

strengthen families in Jesus Christ.

Her desire in doing this is to bring glory to God her

Maker and Heavenly Father.

Family is very special to God, the Heavenly Father

of all believers in Christ Jesus.

Every family on earth derives its name from Him.

(Ephesians 3:14).

May God bless you with His grace, peace, and love

as you believe and trust in Him and His Son, Jesus

Christ.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.


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Titles by

~Michelle Lores~

Children’s Titles:

Andie’s World

Auntie Netta’s Letters to Jollee and Ned

Book of SonShine Coloring Book

Branches of the Heavenly Father’s Love

Button Rose ~ A Little Bunny with an Unshakeable

Spirit

Celebrating Seasons and Holidays with Oscar the

Puppy

Godly Stories in Rhyme for Children and Families

Oscar the Christmas Puppy

Oscar the Puppy Explores His World

Pudge the Sheep

Stories and Tales Filled with God’s Love: For Kids and

Families


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Inspirational Titles:

A Closer Look: A Picture Book

A Cup of SonShine for Your Day: A 31 Day Devotional

A Season for Change

Art & the Heart of God

Bowling with Limes in the Morning

Christmas Stories and Poems to Warm Your Heart

His Name is Love: A Small Book of Poetry

It’s All About Jesus

Marriage with a Mission

Poems and Letters for the Hurting

Poetry, Inspiration, and Hodgepodge!

Poetry, Love, & Art

Springtime is Here!

Summer Posies: Images and Rhymes of Florida in the Summertime

Sweet Memories with Mama


Tikvah ~Hope’s Treasure Within~

Tranquil Moments in the Garden

When the Sun Comes Out Again

The Blessing Of Family · The Blessing of Family 3 Michelle Lores This Book is Dedicated to: Jorge,...

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Transcript of The Blessing Of Family · The Blessing of Family 3 Michelle Lores This Book is Dedicated to: Jorge,...