Branches of the Heavenly Father’s Love · Branches of the Heavenly Father’s Love Michelle Lores...
Transcript of Branches of the Heavenly Father’s Love · Branches of the Heavenly Father’s Love Michelle Lores...
Branches of the Heavenly Father’s Love
Michelle Lores Page 2
Copyright © 2017 by Michelle Lores
Branches of the Heavenly Father’s Love: Stories and Tales for Kids and Families
By Michelle Lores
“Hop and Babby—Friends for Life”; “A Pigeon Named Pete”; &
“Hubey the Fantastic Bear”
Taken from the book,
Stories and Tales Filled with God’s Love,
Copyright © 2016 by Michelle Lores
“A White Dress and a Clean Water Jar”; & “Do You Want to Know Jesus?”
Taken and adapted from the book,
Auntie Netta’s Letters to Jollee and Ned
Copyright © 2016 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.
Branches of the Heavenly Father’s Love
Michelle Lores Page 3
Contents:
Chapter 1: Pudge the Sheep
Chapter 2: Hop and Babby—Friends for Life
Chapter 3: Ladybug, Ladybug…
Chapter 4: Hannah May
Chapter 5: A Pigeon Named Pete
Chapter 6: Hubey the Fantastic Bear
Chapter 7: It’s the Simple Things
Chapter 8: A White Dress and a Clean Water
Jar
Chapter 9: Do You Want to Know Jesus?
Branches of the Heavenly Father’s Love
Michelle Lores Page 5
Jesus said:
“I am the true vine,
And my Father is the vine-dresser…
“Abide in Me, and I in you.
As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself,
unless it abides in the vine, neither can you,
unless you abide in Me.
“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who
abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit;
for without Me you can do nothing.”
~John 15:1, 4-5~
Branches of the Heavenly Father’s Love
Michelle Lores Page 7
1
Pudge the Sheep
Pudge the sheep was sad.
He lived in a meadow full of other happy, playful
sheep.
But none of them wanted to play with Pudge.
“He’s too serious,” one sheep said.
“And he’s just too pudgy to play with,” another
sheep agreed.
Branches of the Heavenly Father’s Love
Michelle Lores Page 8
Poor Pudge. He spent his days dreaming of
frolicking and playing and wondering if things would
ever be better.
Pudge did have a favorite pastime, though.
While the other sheep were playing together on
the hillside, he liked to climb up as high as the top of the
hill, lie down and look at the stream below and the sky
above.
He watched beautiful butterflies float by, and he
got lost in his own little world of sweet dew-soaked
grass and high, fleece-covered clouds.
One day, a Shepherd from a neighboring hillside
came to look at the flock of sheep that Pudge was a part
of.
Pudge watched the Shepherd closely, for Pudge
the sheep was very observant.
Branches of the Heavenly Father’s Love
Michelle Lores Page 9
Pudge noticed that the Shepherd had the kindest
of eyes and the gentlest of hands. He had a
compassionate heart for the weak and seemed humble
yet firm. Pudge called him the Good Shepherd, and he
loved Him right away.
The Good Shepherd had announced that He had
come for one sheep today.
“Who will He pick?” One sheep asked.
“Oh, I hope it will be me!” Another one said.
Pudge went over in the corner of the sheep pen.
Though he wanted to dream of the Good Shepherd
picking him, he knew it was just too good of a dream to
hope for, so he sat quietly in the corner, lay his head
down, and cried softly.
After all, who would ever choose the pudgy
sheep that no one else wanted to play with?
Branches of the Heavenly Father’s Love
Michelle Lores Page 10
Pudge’s eyes were closed when he felt the most
gentle hand reach out and touch his head.
“How much for this little one?” The Good
Shepherd asked.
Pudge could not believe his ears as he looked up
into the kindest eyes he had ever seen.
“What is his name?” The Good Shepherd asked.
“Pudge,” the keeper of the sheep told Him.
“Little one, come home with me. I will give you a
new name, but we will not speak it here. Come—it is
time to go home,” the Good Shepherd said as he
extended His hand and pointed the Way with His staff.
The Good Shepherd led little Pudge into a new
life. Things were still not always easy for him, but
Pudge always had his Shepherd nearby to watch out for
Branches of the Heavenly Father’s Love
Michelle Lores Page 11
him, comfort him, and show him the way through every
hard time.
Pudge did things differently now. The Good
Shepherd was leading him into a whole new way of
enjoying and participating in his world. Pudge spent
lots of time with his Good Shepherd, and he acted on
what his Master told him to do. As a result, Pudge’s life
completely changed.
As for Pudge’s name—it is no longer “Pudge”—
for the Good Shepherd lovingly changed it to “Chosen
One.”
“Chosen One” loves the Good Shepherd, who
gave him a new name and a new life. This little sheep,
who was once so lonely, is forever safe in his Master’s
care. He has experienced the light of God’s love through
the Good Shepherd, whose name is Jesus Christ, and
“Chosen One” will never be alone again.
Branches of the Heavenly Father’s Love
Michelle Lores Page 12
Jesus said:
“But he who enters by the door is the
shepherd of the sheep.
“To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep
hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by
name and leads them out.
“And when he brings out his own sheep, he
goes before them; and the sheep follow him,
for they know his voice.”
~John 10:2-4~
Branches of the Heavenly Father’s Love
Michelle Lores Page 15
2
Hop & Babby—
Friends for Life
“Wake up, Hop! It’s a beautiful spring day
outside! You don’t want to miss a second of it!” Babby
the bunny said to her best friend—Hop, the rabbit.
“Oh, Babby, I just don’t feel like getting up,” Hop
groaned. “Why don’t you go and enjoy it for the both of
us?”
Branches of the Heavenly Father’s Love
Michelle Lores Page 16
Babby twitched her little nose and thought for a
second. She was not leaving this burrow without her
best friend—but how could she encourage him to get
up? Hop just wanted to stay here in the dark. Then she
thought of an idea.
“Hop—guess what? I heard from Mother Rabbit
that there is a big fresh patch of sweet clover up by the
overlook of the valley. Wouldn’t you like to go taste
some of that sweet clover? And she told me that there
are plenty of bushes nearby for cover up there. Let’s
go!” Babby said excitedly as she hopped up and down
and pushed on Hop’s side with her two soft white paws.
Babby knew that Hop could not resist fresh
clover—it was his favorite because it was the sweetest
clover there was. She also knew that seeing the
overlook of the valley would definitely lift Hop’s spirits.
Branches of the Heavenly Father’s Love
Michelle Lores Page 17
“Okay, okay—I’ll go,” Hop said as he got up
reluctantly and slowly blinked his eyes.
“Come on, Hop! Follow me!” Babby said with
enthusiasm. “I know the way!”
With that, the two friends were off. Along the
way, they sniffed beautiful wildflowers—watched as a
butterfly landed on Hop’s nose—savored the crisp,
fresh spring air—and enjoyed being in one another’s
company. Babby had been right—it was truly a
beautiful spring day!
When they arrived at the patch of clover, they
checked their surroundings for danger, and then
hopped into the clearing to enjoy a filling meal of the
sweetest clover still drenched in dew.
Branches of the Heavenly Father’s Love
Michelle Lores Page 18
While Hop was still nibbling clover tops, Babby
hopped over to the overlook of the valley and called to
Hop, “Hop come here! I want you to see something!”
“Can it wait? This clover is just so tasty!” Hop
said with his mouth full as he continued to focus on the
patch of sweet clover that he was eating.
Babby giggled with a paw to her dainty little
mouth. “Oh, Hop! The clover isn’t going anywhere.
Come here for a second, and then you can finish your
meal.”
“Oh, okay. I’m coming.” Hop said as he took one
last bite to chew on.
“What did you want to show me, Babby?” Hop
asked as he arrived at the spot where Babby sat.
“Look!” Babby said as she pointed her paw at the
view of the valley.
Branches of the Heavenly Father’s Love
Michelle Lores Page 19
Hop turned and looked in the direction that
Babby was pointing her paw. What he saw took his
breath away. Everything down there looked so small
and peaceful. Hop lived in that valley, and he knew that
a lot happened there that could be scary, sad, and hard
to deal with—but from up here, he could see a bigger
picture. Things were not as big and scary. Somehow, he
knew that things weren’t that bad after all.
Hop was beginning to see that just like this valley
looked small to him from up here, all of the problems
that he faced were very small compared to God. God
could handle all of them.
Hop realized that the next time he faced
something hard, he could remember that no matter how
big the problem was, God was always bigger. A sense of
relief and peace washed over Hop as he became very
calm inside and full of awe for God, his Creator.
Branches of the Heavenly Father’s Love
Michelle Lores Page 20
After several moments of silence, Hop turned to
Babby and said, “Babby, you are a wonderful friend.
You didn’t let me stay hidden in my burrow all day. You
brought me to a wonderful feast for my stomach, and
you brought me to this beautiful overlook where God
reminded me of how great He is. Thank you for being
such a great friend!”
“Hop, you are my best friend, and that won’t ever
change. We’re friends for life, right?” Babby said with a
twitch of her nose and a sweet bunny smile.
“Right,” Hop said. “Friends for life.”
And with that, Babby put her paw on Hop’s back
as they both faced out toward the valley, each with their
hearts full of wonder at the greatness of God, their
Creator.
Branches of the Heavenly Father’s Love
Michelle Lores Page 23
3
Ladybug, Ladybug…
Ladybug, Ladybug…
Where are you going?
Don’t you know there’s a big world out there
Waiting for your exploring?
Branches of the Heavenly Father’s Love
Michelle Lores Page 24
Ladybug, Ladybug…
Don’t hide away!
God made you to show your spots
So come out and enjoy the day!
Branches of the Heavenly Father’s Love
Michelle Lores Page 27
4
Hannah May
Hannah May was going to get her hair done for
the first time today, and she was getting her nails done,
too!
Her Aunt Elizabeth was taking her to the salon,
and they were going to enjoy the treat together. Aunt
Elizabeth didn’t usually do this sort of thing for herself,
but Hannah May really wanted to get her hair and nails
done. Hannah May just thought it would be so special to
Branches of the Heavenly Father’s Love
Michelle Lores Page 28
be pampered for a day as a change from her normal,
everyday routine.
Hannah May loved having one-on-one girl time
with her aunt. She was really looking forward to this
day! After the salon, Aunt Elizabeth had even promised
to take them out to get frozen yogurt with as many
toppings as Hannah May wanted. It was sure to be a
super fun day!
Hannah May had her hair curled and set. She
also had her nails done in a pale pink color with white
stars painted on them.
Aunt Elizabeth let Hannah May pick out her hair
style and nail color. Hannah May picked a French braid
style with loose tendrils of hair hanging around her
aunt’s face and little white flowers gracefully accenting
Aunt Elizabeth’s thick blonde hair. For her aunt’s nail
polish, she picked a purple color with bright red tips.
Branches of the Heavenly Father’s Love
Michelle Lores Page 29
Afterwards, as promised, they went to Sam’s
Frozen Yogurt Place, and Hannah May chose all of her
favorite flavors and toppings.
The whole time they were together, Aunt
Elizabeth talked with and listened to Hannah May. She
asked questions and showed how much she sincerely
cared about her niece and who she was as a person.
Most importantly, she asked how she could be
praying for Hannah May during their time together.
Near the end of the day, they took time to pray—first
Aunt Elizabeth prayed, and then Hannah May did.
Aunt Elizabeth shared the truth of God’s Word as
she answered questions that Hannah May asked.
At the end of the day, they had both made some
wonderful memories, and each of them felt full inside.
Hannah May felt that way because she had been poured
Branches of the Heavenly Father’s Love
Michelle Lores Page 30
into by Aunt Elizabeth. And Aunt Elizabeth felt that way
because she had lived her God-given purpose that day
to love and be loved.
Hannah May was so thankful for her aunt, and
Aunt Elizabeth gave thanks to God for another day to
live and love with Him.
Branches of the Heavenly Father’s Love
Michelle Lores Page 33
5
A Pigeon Named Pete
Main Street was a busy place in the city of
McAllister. Cars drove by all day on the street, and
many people walked the streets of this lively town all
day long. There were small trees planted in front of the
storefronts and quaint light posts to give the city light in
the evenings. The streets were cobblestone and the
sidewalks were laid with bricks.
In the branches of one of those trees on Main
Street, a pigeon had made her nest. Her babies waited
Branches of the Heavenly Father’s Love
Michelle Lores Page 34
every day for their mom to come home and feed them
dinner.
One day, when the mother pigeon came home to
feed her babies, one of her little ones was more eager
than usual to get his dinner. He leaned so far forward to
get to his mom that he fell out of the nest and down,
down, down to the busy sidewalk.
The little baby pigeon cried and cried for his
mother to come save him, but there was nothing she
could do to help him. She held her breath, waiting to
see what would happen to her little one.
In the meantime, the baby pigeon continued to
cry. Most of the people on the street just ignored the
little pigeon and walked on by—but one young man
Branches of the Heavenly Father’s Love
Michelle Lores Page 35
stopped and took notice of the helpless baby bird. He
was a young college student named Matt.
“Well, hey there, little fella. What happened to
you? Where did you come from?” Matt asked as he
knelt next to the little bird and looked around. Soon,
when he looked up, he realized where the little pigeon
had fallen from.
“Well that was a long way to fall for such a little
guy. I’m going to have to take you home with me and
take care of you.” And that is exactly what he did.
Matt had a little apartment above a store on
Main Street. He took the baby pigeon home with him
and warmed up some corn meal cereal. He used a
medicine dropper to feed the little bird. He got a
cardboard box and put a soft towel in it for the baby
bird to sleep in for the time being.
Branches of the Heavenly Father’s Love
Michelle Lores Page 36
“You know—you need a name,” Matt told the
little pigeon when it was all settled in and warm. “I
think I will call you Pete—Pete the pigeon. What do you
think, Pete?” The little bird just blinked at him and fell
asleep.
Matt smiled and started making plans to take
care of Pete. He talked to the downstairs shopkeeper
who was an elderly gentleman in need of a good animal
companion for his shop. He was a dear old man—and
when he heard about the poor baby pigeon, he agreed
to watch him in his shop during the day while Matt was
at class. Matt would then take Pete upstairs to take care
of him in the evenings when he was home studying.
“Well, everything’s all set, Pete,” Matt told the
little pigeon while he fed him a second meal of warm
cereal. “Tomorrow I’ll get you something better for
baby birds like you to eat. You have a new home now
Branches of the Heavenly Father’s Love
Michelle Lores Page 37
and you will be well taken care of. Don’t worry about
anything.
“You know, God was really watching out for you
today. The Bible says that God sees everything and He
cares about us. He knows when every sparrow falls.
When you fell, He saw you, and He sent me.” Matt said
as Pete finished his dinner of warm corn meal cereal,
and Matt set him back in his cozy box. “Everything will
be alright now. Good night, little one.”
And with that, Pete again looked up at his
caretaker, blinked his eyes, and fell fast asleep in
complete trust. He felt safe and secure here. Everything
was going to be just fine in this new place called Home.
Branches of the Heavenly Father’s Love
Michelle Lores Page 39
6
Hubey
The Fantastic Bear
Hubey was a teddy bear who belonged to a little
boy named Bobby. Bobby loved Hubey more than any
of his other toys. Hubey was dark brown, had very well-
worn fur, and was missing one eye. But Bobby noticed
none of that. To Bobby, Hubey was just right—for he
saw him through eyes of simple, child-like love and
acceptance.
Branches of the Heavenly Father’s Love
Michelle Lores Page 40
Hubey, however, was not so happy being a plain
old teddy bear. He wanted to be something more—
something FANTASTIC.
Every night, Bobby’s dad came in to tuck Bobby
in to bed at night and to tell him a bedtime story full of
adventures and superheroes.
And every night after the lights went out and
Hubey was safe in the arms of a soundly sleeping Bobby,
Hubey would have his own dreams of being a superhero
and of saving the day. Hubey just wanted to be
someone important.
Night after night, Hubey dreamed and dreamed
of fighting villains, rescuing Bobby from falling rocks
and dangerous floods, and of flying from place to place
in the countryside in his yellow cape and mysterious
red mask, rescuing animals in need.
Branches of the Heavenly Father’s Love
Michelle Lores Page 41
Then the morning would come, and he would go
back to being just plain old Hubey—nothing amazing—
just a much-loved and worn little teddy bear.
“Guess what, Hubey?” Bobby said excitedly one
morning to his favorite toy. “Today we’re going to the
beach, and Dad and Mom said you could come along!
You’ll have to stay in the car, but we can talk all the way
there and back! I love you, Hubey!”
Hubey was excited! An outing with Bobby! The
whole family got in the car, and Hubey was safely
tucked in Bobby’s arms for the trip down to the beach.
Bobby talked about church and school and
superheroes and exciting outdoor adventures. He told
Hubey everything, because Hubey was his most trusted
toy.
Branches of the Heavenly Father’s Love
Michelle Lores Page 42
Hubey snuggled in and just listened. His favorite
part of every day was just being with Bobby.
Bobby squeezed Hubey tight and said, “I love
you, Hubey.”
Hubey loved being loved by Bobby, but he still
wanted more.
“I want to be FANTASTIC.” Hubey continued to
think to himself. “I want to be somebody important.”
That day at the beach, Bobby saw crabs and sea
gulls, pelicans and sea shells. But something bad
happened too. Bobby nearly drowned.
As Bobby was swimming, he got caught in an
undertow current and was pulled out away from the
shore. His mom and dad yelled for help, and a lifeguard
came and saved him, with his dad close behind.
Branches of the Heavenly Father’s Love
Michelle Lores Page 43
Bobby was exhausted from fighting the current,
and he just wanted to go home.
“I want Hubey.” Bobby said weakly.
“We’re going to the car now, Buddy,” Dad said.
“You’ll see him in just a minute.”
Hubey had no idea what had happened. He had
been in the car, gazing out of the window and dreaming
of adventure.
All of a sudden, Bobby and his family arrived in a
flurry of activity—and Dad was carrying Bobby!
On the way home, Bobby slept with Hubey in his
arms, leaving Hubey to wonder what had happened.
The next day, Bobby was feeling better—though
he was still a little shaken. He spent some quiet time in
his room just talking with Hubey.
Branches of the Heavenly Father’s Love
Michelle Lores Page 44
“Hubey, yesterday I nearly drowned. A lifeguard
saved my life, ‘cause God wanted me to keep living. I’m
glad, too, because that means I can keep being with you,
Hubey. We can keep having our adventures together.
You’re my favorite toy, and you know why?” Bobby
asked Hubey as Hubey sat lopsidedly looking up at
Bobby.
“It’s because I just know you listen to me. I love
you, Hubey! You’re FANTASTIC!”
In that moment, Hubey the bear realized
something he had been missing. He didn’t need to stand
out to be important or fantastic to the whole wide
world.
No—Hubey already had everything he needed to
be happy and content. He was loved accepted for who
he was. In Bobby’s eyes, he had always been important
and fantastic.
Branches of the Heavenly Father’s Love
Michelle Lores Page 45
And why? Because Bobby saw Hubey through
eyes of love.
A lifeguard may have saved Bobby’s life, but
Hubey went through life WITH Bobby, and Bobby just
loved that Hubey was always there to listen. Do you
ever feel like Hubey? Like you just want to be someone
important—to stand out from the crowd and be
FANTASTIC?
I know I do.
But you know what? God made you special. He
designed you with a very special purpose in mind. He
loves you, and He wants the best for you.
Do you want to be something more?
Let God help you be thankful for who you are
first. Then ask your Lord to make you everything He
made you to be.
Branches of the Heavenly Father’s Love
Michelle Lores Page 46
Life is a process. I pray that God will make you
and me more like His Son, Jesus, every day—for only
God is truly FANTASTIC!
Branches of the Heavenly Father’s Love
Michelle Lores Page 49
7
It’s the Simple Things
It’s the simple things,
Not diamond rings
That really count in life.
It’s Grandma’s touch
That means so much
In a little one’s eyes.
Branches of the Heavenly Father’s Love
Michelle Lores Page 50
It’s Grandpa’s time
And Daddy being kind
That your child will remember always.
It’s Mommy’s love
And gifts from above
That are held close to the heart come what may.
Branches of the Heavenly Father’s Love
Michelle Lores Page 51
Think for a moment:
What is it that’s been
Your heart’s most deeply valued Treasure?
Did it cost money?
Or was it something that couldn’t be bought
That brought you such heartfelt pleasure?
Branches of the Heavenly Father’s Love
Michelle Lores Page 52
Where is your treasure?
Where does it lie?
Where is your true home?
Is Jesus your joy?
Is His love your heart’s cry?
Is it in Him that you find your true hope?
Branches of the Heavenly Father’s Love
Michelle Lores Page 53
Talk to Jesus.
Talk to Him now.
He is waiting for your prayer.
Thank Him for His love
And His perfect gifts.
His love for you is EVERYWHERE!
Branches of the Heavenly Father’s Love
Michelle Lores Page 55
8
A White Dress & A Clean Water Jar
There was once a little girl named Hillary who
lived in a home with two loving parents. They had little
money, but for Hillary’s birthday, they saved up to buy
her a beautiful light pink frilly dress. Hillary was so
surprised to receive such a beautiful gift, and she
wanted to wear her dress everywhere. At first, she took
good care of her dress, but as time passed, she became
careless. She played on the streets, and her dress got
ripped, tattered, torn, and covered in soot. The color of
Branches of the Heavenly Father’s Love
Michelle Lores Page 56
her dress changed from beautiful pale pink to a dingy
gray.
Hillary didn’t notice that her dress was no longer
beautiful. To her, she was still wearing the most
beautiful dress in the world. But the truth was that she
was now dressed in rags.
One day, Hillary’s Grandfather came for a visit.
He came to bring some help to his son and his son’s
family. Along with his many gifts of food and clothes, he
brought a special gift for Hillary. He had heard about
her filthy tattered dress that she would not take off, and
he wanted to offer her something that would make her
clean once again.
“Hillary,” Grandfather said as he knelt down on
Hillary’s level. “I love you very much. I have a gift for
you. But in order for me to give it to you, you will need
to give up something else that you love very much.”
Branches of the Heavenly Father’s Love
Michelle Lores Page 57
“I don’t know if I can do that, Grandfather. What
is it?” Hillary asked.
“Well, you see, I have this beautiful collection of
sweet smelling soaps and a white dress that will grow
with you, and if you ever get the dress dirty, all you will
need to do is come to me, and I will clean your dirty
dress and give you more sweet smelling soap to wash
yourself in. This is a supply that will last you all your
life,” Grandfather said.
“That sounds wonderful, Grandfather! But what
do I have to give up?” Hillary asked.
“Hillary, the dress you are wearing now is dirty
and torn, and you must give it up to receive the sweet
smelling soap to wash in and the beautiful new white
dress.” Grandfather said.
Branches of the Heavenly Father’s Love
Michelle Lores Page 58
“But Grandfather, my dress isn’t dirty. It is as
pretty as the day I first put it on,” Hillary replied, and
she turned and skipped away to go and continue her
play.
Hillary’s eyes needed to be opened to her filthy
condition and how much she needed her Grandfather’s
help. Before she could be washed and made clean, she
would need to first recognize her need to be made
clean.
A few days passed, and on the day before
Grandfather was set to leave, Hillary came to him and
said, “Grandfather, I have been thinking… I really need
what you are offering me. I looked at my reflection in a
shop window the other day, and I saw how dirty and
ragged my dress has become. Will you help me like you
said you would, Grandfather? I would like very much to
Branches of the Heavenly Father’s Love
Michelle Lores Page 59
have that sweet smelling soap and that beautiful white
dress so I can be clean.”
“Yes, my dear. They are yours. Here are two
boxes—one small and one large. The large one has your
clean white dress in it, and the small one has a bar of
sweet smelling soap. Remember to keep your dress
clean and take care of it—but if for some reason it gets
dirty, just call on me, and I will clean it for you and give
you more sweet smelling soap to wash in.
“Now go and wash up and change in the other
room, and leave behind the old dress. I will take it
away, and you will never see it again. I love you, Hillary.
All of your needs will be taken care of now. Just
remember to ask me for help when you fall down. I will
be there right away to help you find your way back up.”
Grandfather said as he handed the large white dress box
Branches of the Heavenly Father’s Love
Michelle Lores Page 60
and the small soap box to his granddaughter who had
just taken the first step to being clean.
My dears, we are all like Hillary before we come
to know Jesus. Our clothes are dirty in sin and
wrongdoing (Romans 3:23)—and the only One who can
wipe away our sin and make us clean is our Father in
Heaven when we receive His Son, Jesus Christ, as our
Savior and Lord (1 John 1:9). But first, we must
recognize that we have done wrong and ask for His
forgiveness. Then He makes us clean and clothes us in
white. He gives us purity as a treasure to guard. If we
fall and once again get dirty, He wants us to cry out to
Him so He can set us back on the right path, wash us up,
and put us back into a right relationship with Him (1
John 2:1-2). This treasure of purity that God gives us is
all because of who God is—we do nothing to earn it, so
it is called a gift of God’s grace.
Branches of the Heavenly Father’s Love
Michelle Lores Page 61
Purity is a gift to be protected. What is purity
exactly? Well, purity starts when God makes us clean
and takes away our sin—it is a way of life where we
keep ourselves from being made dirty by the
uncleanness of the world (2 Peter 1:5-9; James 1:27; 1
Peter 1:14-15).
Let me tell you another story. It is about keeping
a prized possession clean.
Movee was a little boy who lived in a country far
away from here. He had no parents. He had no home,
either. All that he owned were the threadbare clothes
on his back—he didn’t even have shoes to wear on his
feet. The one thing he owned that he guarded and kept
with him at all times was a tall glass jar that had a lid on
top. But it was not the glass jar that was his treasure. It
was what was inside of it. His jar was filled with fresh,
clean water.
Branches of the Heavenly Father’s Love
Michelle Lores Page 62
Movee got his water from a well that
missionaries had drilled for his community. He got
some clean water in his jar every day, and he sipped a
little at a time, so it would last until the next day.
Movee knew that it was important to keep his
water clean—the missionaries had told him so. They
had told him that unclean water was one of the reasons
for all of the disease in his community.
Those same missionaries were the ones who
gave Movee his glass jar with a lid on top to protect his
water and keep it clean. Movee guarded his jar with his
life—because he knew that without the water that it
kept clean, he would grow sick and die.
Purity is a lot like that clean water in the glass
jar. It is meant to be treasured and protected from the
dirt and uncleanness in the world, just like Movee
protected his water from dirt and disease.
Branches of the Heavenly Father’s Love
Michelle Lores Page 63
The dirt and uncleanness of the world is known
as corruption. Corruption comes in many forms, but it
is basically anything in the world that is not pure—
anything that is not of God that is unclean.
If we let corruption into our lives by choosing to
sin and do wrong things, the corruption that enters is
like the dirt that makes clean water dirty and unclean—
it dirties our purity.
Corruption and sin get in the way of our
relationship with God until we turn to God and once
again ask Him to cleanse us of all we have done wrong.
Then He washes us and takes the dirty stains from our
garments as Grandfather promised to do for Hillary,
making us pure again and our relationship with God
once again right. (1 John 1:9-2:2; James 5:15-16)
Branches of the Heavenly Father’s Love
Michelle Lores Page 64
These two stories are all about painting a picture
of what purity is, and why it is something to be valued
and protected.
Finally, above all else, guard your hearts and
minds. Guard your hearts and minds from the evil that
is in this world. Guard your hearts and minds from
going after things that do not lead to God. What you
allow into your heart and mind will determine whether
you are overflowing with life or whether you are in
deep darkness. (Proverbs 4:23)
I pray that your hearts will always be
overflowing with life that is from God.
If you choose to walk in the Light of God’s Love,
your rewards will be great when one day you see the
Lord.
May these words ring true in your hearts.
Branches of the Heavenly Father’s Love
Michelle Lores Page 65
May you always seek every answer in Jesus and
in the Word of God.
In Jesus’ Name, May it be so, Amen.
Branches of the Heavenly Father’s Love
Michelle Lores Page 67
9
Do You Want to Know Jesus?
The Bible says to believe in the Lord Jesus and you will
be saved. (Acts 16:31-32)
The Bible also says to confess your sins and to
repent and be baptized and you will be forgiven of your
sins—and the Holy Spirit will come and live inside of
you (1 John 1:9; Acts 2:38). To confess is to take
responsibility for your sin and to come to God for
forgiveness, knowing that He is the only One who can
forgive you. To repent is to turn from your sin. To be
Branches of the Heavenly Father’s Love
Michelle Lores Page 68
baptized is to be baptized into the death and
resurrection of Jesus. Baptism symbolizes what
happens to us when we believe in Jesus and follow
Him—we die to sin by Jesus’ power and are raised to
the new life that Jesus rose from the dead to give us
(Romans 6:3-4).
You see, the Bible says that all of us—everyone
that ever lived—has sinned—done wrong according to
God (Romans 3:23). Therefore, we all fall short of God’s
glory—meaning that we cannot have a relationship with
Him or come into His presence on our own.
That’s why God sent Jesus. The penalty for our
sins is death and separation forever from God.
But God didn’t want you to stay separated from
Him. So, He sent His only Son—Jesus Christ—down
from heaven—born as a baby—to live a sinless life—so
Branches of the Heavenly Father’s Love
Michelle Lores Page 69
that he could take your penalty of death on Himself and
die a cruel and horrible death so you wouldn’t have to.
But Jesus’ story doesn’t end there. If it did, your
story would end there, too. You see, Jesus was raised up
from the dead by God’s power—He came back to life by
the authority and power given to Him by God three days
after He had died (Acts 2:32; John 10:17-18). He was
dead, buried, and raised to life (1 Corinthians 15:4).
Because He was raised from the dead by His own
authority given to Him by God, He can never die again.
He holds the victory over sin and death, and will give
that victory to all who believe in Him (Romans 6:6-11).
Jesus loves you. The Heavenly Father loves you.
God made a way for you to know Him today and live a
life where you can say no to sin, and He made a way for
you to live forever with Him after you die your physical
death in this life.
Branches of the Heavenly Father’s Love
Michelle Lores Page 70
God is waiting for you to respond to His love.
Believe that Jesus is the Son of God—the
Lord— the One whom you are now giving
yourself and your life to obey in every big
and little thing.
Believe in your heart that God raised
Jesus from the dead.
Confess your sins to God and receive His
forgiveness.
Repent.
Be baptized into the death and
resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Declare Jesus as your Lord both with your
words and through the life you live.
Receive Jesus with a simple childlike faith,
and give your life to obeying and
following Him every day.
Branches of the Heavenly Father’s Love
Michelle Lores Page 71
This begins your Life with Jesus.
I pray that you will come to know how deep
God’s love is for you and that you will experience it
every day.
I pray that you will respond to His never-ending
love for you with a beautiful, wholehearted, and joy-
filled love of your own for your Lord.
May you walk closely with Him for all of your
days!
And never forget—He is with you always—you
are never alone!
Branches of the Heavenly Father’s Love
Michelle Lores Page 73
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.
Branches of the Heavenly Father’s Love
Michelle Lores Page 74
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
Dwight’s Prayer Journal
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
Branches of the Heavenly Father’s Love
Michelle Lores Page 75
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
What is the Answer?
When the Sun Comes Out Again