The Escape

    Today our story is about a hamster family our kids had. We've had so many wonderful adventures over the years with all the different pets the kids had.  You will find more of these stories at:  http://www.hisamazinglove.com/  (look under Family Zoo)

     In the beginning it wasn't a hamster family at all- our son had one hamster and our daughter had one hamster. AND, they decided to find out what would happen if they put them together. You guessed it- we now had lots of baby hamsters and that is how our hamster family got it's start.      :) 
     That year the kids and I went to church camp and since Fred (my hubby) had to work he stayed behind and was also the babysitter of all the hamsters, big and small. Every evening we would talk to him on the phone. One night while we were talking to him, he happened to look underneath the kitchen table and saw many tiny eyes looking back at him! That's right, they had escaped! Wow! How was Fred going to catch all those little guys? Then he came up with a plan. The cage they lived in had a lot of little tubes in it, so Fred was able to take one of the tubes and place it on the floor and lure them back into it by placing food in it. So one by one the little guys were caught and placed back into the hamster cage.  Have you ever wondered what we must look like to small animals like hamsters? If we put ourselves in their place and look through their eyes, we must look like some kind of scary giants.
     I know that some of us are afraid of God- not because God is scary, but because we don't really know Him or we have the wrong picture or idea of Him. And, when we have the wrong picture of Him we may think why would I want to know Him? There are a lot of wrong things going around about God's character, but when we really find out what He is like we find out He is wonderful! he is loving and kind and is always there for us.
     The Bible tells us that "God is love." 1 John 4:16. It also says that God loved us so much! He had a plan. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16.  He is also compassionate and patient. ( Psalm 86:15)  I personally am very thankful for that! This paints a completely different picture of God than some of the things I have heard over the years. He is loving and kind. He's not standing there just waiting for us to mess up, He is there waiting to forgive us and help us back up when we do mess up. God loves us so much that He gave His Son for us. And, Jesus-His Son- loves us in the same way- He gave His life for us. This is amazing love!
      I'm sure the little hamsters were probably scared of the big giant named Fred, but they didn't realize Fred wouldn't hurt them and was only trying to do what was best for them- getting them back into a safe place where they had protection, food and water.
      God only wants what is best for us. He even tells us to cast our burdens or cares upon Him. (psalm 55:22)  He will help us. We do not have to handle things all by ourselves. He even says He will help us with our fears! (Psalm 34:4) When we do this we can feel calm and peaceful, knowing He will take care of us. He is a God that cares about every area of our lives- we are important to Him and He wants the best for us.
     He loves you with an "everlasting love".  (Jeremiah 31:3)
     YOU ARE IMPORTANT TO HIM AND YOU ARE LOVED!
http://www.hisamazinglove.com/

 

Lucky Catch

    This is one of the stories I have from what I call our Family Zoo stories. These stories are about the animals our family has had over the years and the many adventures we've had with them.  If you like the story, you will find many more of them on the web site.   http://www.hisamazinglove.com//    (look under Family Zoo)

    When our kids were small we moved out in a rural area in the Arizona. At the time we had a dog named Bandy. He was a Springer Spaniel with a big personality and heart to match.  :)   He was quite a character!
    We had chickens and the chicken coop was in the backyard. On this particular day one of the chickens was out and Bandy just happened to be in the backyard. I'm sure he felt at the time it was the best place to be. Now you aren't going to believe this, but it really did happen just as I'm about to tell you-I wittnessed it from the window.
     As you may know chickens don't fly very much or very high, I guess it's just not their thing and in this chicken's case, flying was definitely not in her best interest- or at least how she chose to do it that day.
     Picture this, the chicken took off flying a few feet off the ground and headed right for Bandy. Bandy was just sitting there and when he saw  that chicken coming for him his eyes just lit up- kind of like child's eyes in a candy store or toy store. You could tell he liked what he was seeing. He just sat there and "then" he opened his mouth- and I kid you not- that chicken flew right into his mouth! He was beside himself-he must have felt like he was the luckiest dog in the world! He probably thought he had been given a free gift, a gift beyond his wildest dreams!
      As you will soon see this feeling didn't last long. First we stood there not believing what we had just witnessed and thinking doesn't this kind of thing only happen in the movies? If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes I don't think I would have believed it!  Realizing we had to act fast, we ran out and took the chicken out of Bandy's mouth. Happy chicken! Not so happy dog. Wonder if the chicken ever realized what she was saved from? I think Bandy realized what he had lost out on. When I think back on this it still amazes me that it actually happened.
     There are many things that happen in our every day lives that we can hardly believe. Some things we may wish hadn't happened. And then there are others we are thankful that happened. One of those things is the amazing love that God has for us. To realize that kind of love really does exist is one of the greatest things I know. To know that we are loved so much Jesus came here to this earth and gave His life for us- for me- for you! ( John 3:16&17)
       He came to save us and I am so thankful for that!  And, unlike, Bandy, we get to keep our free gift. God offers us eternal life and it is a free gift- it's already ours, all we have to do is go to Him and tell Him we want it. What a sacrifice He made for us! What amazing Love! He will forgive and wipe away any and all of our past mistakes- all we have to do is ask- think about it. (God is gracious, ready and willing to forgive Nehemiah 9:17)  And, He ,makes us new. (2Corinthians 5:17)  And that is the best news ever!
       There is no greater gift!
You can find more stories, free offers and other things on:
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