Object Lesson: His Mighty Works

        Since there is still no word from Kat or Carter, I have decided to post one of the object lessons from my book Visual Illustrations. This book is out of print, but will be rereleased soon. Feel free to use this lesson that teaches we can see the reality of God in the mighty works He performs. It is a very magical demonstration.

        This illustration will get many comments. You will need a matchstick or a book match, a nickel, and a plastic rod (such as a plastic magic wand) or comb. I prefer to use a plastic magic wand, and do this lesson as a magic trick. You can purchase a plastic wand at novelty shops, magic stores, or at many toy stores.

        This illustration makes use of static electricity. To set up, place the magic wand under your arm while wearing a coat or sweater. The wand needs to be touching cloth, and the bulk of the wand needs to stick out back. Place the nickel on a flat surface, and balance it on its edge. You may need to use a piece of chewing gum or modeling clay to help stand the nickel on its edge. Balance the matchstick on the top edge of the nickel so that it lies like a compass needle and will move easily.
        At the appropriate time, you will slide the plastic rod/wand straight forward and out from under your arm. As you do, bear down on the rod with your arm so that as you pull it out it receives a static electric charge. Be careful, if the cloth is damp, it will not charge the rod.
        Another way you can charge the rod is to wrap it in a cloth and put the wrapped wand inside a box or bag. Hold the cloth tightly around the wand with one hand, and draw the wand out of the box or bag with your other hand. If you choose this option and if you wish to do this illustration as a magic trick, be careful that your group does not see the cloth.
        If you tell your group that you are going to use static electricity to move the match, you could use a plastic hair comb. Run the comb through clean, dry hair a couple of times to give it a static electric charge. Once you have charged the plastic device, slowly move it a couple of inches over the top of the match. The match will move and fall off the nickel. If the match does not move, try rubbing the wand with different fabrics. Some fabrics work better than others in giving an electric charge.

TRUTH ILLUSTRATED:

        We can see the reality of God in the mighty works He performs.

MESSAGE:

        [Begin by setting up the match and nickel as described above.] I am going to move this match without touching it, blowing on it, or hitting the table. Instead, I will move it with an invisible force. [Use your electrically charged device to move the match.]
        Did you see the force that moved the match? No, because it is invisible. Yet, something caused the match to move off the nickel. We know there is a real force involved because we saw its effects.
        That's kind of the way it is with God. We can't see God with our   eyes, but we see the evidence of His existence and power by the results. In Romans 1:20 the Apostle Paul points out that since the creation of the world, God's invisible attributes, eternal power, and divine nature, have been clearly seen through what He has made. We see His powerful works of creation all about us. We see how people's lives change when God's spirit comes to live in their hearts.
        We can't see the force that moved the match, but we can see that there is a force. In the same way, we see the evidence of God's existence by the results of His powerful hand at work.

Kat's Still Missing

        I am sorry to report that there is no further word on the whereabouts of Carter and Kat. This absence is troubling to say the least. In the past, the children have been gone from our world a day at the most when adventuring. It is true that depending on the dimension they happen to be in, time moves at a different rate. That is how their adventures may last months or even years yet are gone only a day from our world. Carter and Kat have been gone for over three weeks now. Either their adventure is taking place in real time here on earth, or some other time differential is at work of which we are unaware. For now, we must wait and hope that they return soon with an exciting story to tell.
        Today I am posting a fun activity to help us remember that no matter what happens in life, there is always something positive we can find to get us through the day. It isn’t much, but maybe it will give you a moment of distraction. I have chosen a spaceship themed puzzle in honor of the Mars rover Curiosity.

PRINTING INSTRUCTIONS:
1. RIGHT CLICK ON the puzzle
2. SELECT Print Picture
3. CLICK Print

Kat's Gone Missing

        Hello folks, this is Pastor Steve. I know that this is Kat’s blog even though it is my account. I just found out that she has gone over three weeks without posting. When I checked with her mother, she was frantic because Kat has been missing now for over two weeks. I have to admit that I too was distressed upon hearing the news of her disappearance until I found out that Carter is also missing. Now in most cases, the fact that two children are missing from the same town would be of great concern. However, in the case of these two, it most likely means that they are on another adventure. Earlier today, I found a note shoved under my front door. The handwriting was neither Kat’s nor Carter’s. It simply said, “Carter and Kat are on a mission. If they survive, they will return.”
        I realize that this is not much to hang our hopes on, but remember that Carter and Kat have faced many dangers and harrowing situations. They have always survived and even thrived. So I am going to hope for the best, trust The Guardian, and the children.
        In the meantime, I have decided to honor Kat’s request that I post some activities you can use as teaching tools or for fun. The activity given below is a fun, unique way to introduce children to Jesus. The puzzle is also fun for everyone.

PRINTING INSTRUCTIONS:
1. RIGHT CLICK the puzzle
2. SELECT Print Picture
3. CLICK Print

Kat's Brush with a Cult

        I met a woman today giving out pamphlets. She told me that superior beings would be landing soon, and there would only be enough room on the flying saucers for true believers. I asked her what I was supposed to believe, and she said the pamphlet explains everything. I read it, and it said that the Supreme Leader would take everyone who believes and worships him to Phlamboyah, a paradise world where everyone lives happily forever. It said lots of other things that did not make much sense.
        I hate to admit it, but when I traveled with Carter through Dearth (the land beyond Dead Forest), we joined a group of people for a short time who said they had an easy shortcut to the “final destination.” I feel bad about it now because our friend, The Guardian, told us to stay on the eastern path until we came to an adobe building. The eastern path was brutal. It was littered with rocks and shrubs, and pocked with chuckholes and huge cracks. It was narrow, difficult to travel, and dangerous. We were exhausted. Given the chance to travel with a group of, seemingly, kind, pleasant people who knew an easy shortcut, it was too good to pass up.
        The leader of the group called himself, Jud Rack. He was powerful, charismatic, and very persuasive. His followers were totally committed to him. If it hadn’t been for Raymud, a man who confronted Rack and challenged his leadership, Carter and I would have followed the group to destruction. Now that I think of it, it was creepy how Rack’s followers hung on his every word and followed him without question.
        Maybe people join these cult groups because, like Carter and I when we abandoned the eastern path, they get tired of struggling with life and trying to make the right choices. It’s so much easier to let someone else take responsibility. People who get involved with cults don’t question things. They let someone else do their thinking for them. They give their power away to someone who appears to have their best interests at heart, but the one they trust uses them for their own selfish purposes. What do you think? Am I missing something?

Kat and the Valley of Shadows

        Hi everyone. I have to be honest with you; I do not feel like doing the blog this week. Ever since Carter and I found Jane Bet killed by her sister, I have been very down. If you read my last post you will know what I’m talking about. Anyway, ever since we found the body, I have felt like I did when I first stepped foot in the Valley of Shadows while traveling through Dearth (the land beyond the dead forest).
        People in Dearth warned us that it would be almost impossible to survive in that dark, cursed land. When we stepped foot on that black dust covered plane, it felt like I had stepped into Death’s living room. Feelings of sadness fell so heavy upon me that I knew I would never be happy again. I wanted desperately to turn and run back the way we had come.
        The dark feelings were so powerful that Carter and I threw up. Then something happened that lifted the gloom in our hearts. The Guardian appeared. Just seeing him filled us with hope and joy, but it didn’t last. When The Guardian told us that our quest was over, Carter began to suspect that the Adversary was trying to trick us into abandoning our quest by appearing as The Guardian. Carter tripped him up by saying he was going to miss the pancakes he served us for breakfast. Carter asked him if he used buttermilk in the pancakes, and he said yes. Well The Guardian never served us pancakes, only waffles. We had him cold.
        That’s how the forces of darkness work. When we are at our most vulnerable, when things are so bad we don’t know if we can carry on, evil strikes. We must be on our guard because when we hurt so bad we don’t know if we can bear the pain one more second, evil will come with a pleasant face and an attractive offer of easy escape.
        When we confronted the Adversary, he revealed his identity. He was angry because he had failed. Not only did he fail to convince us that he was The Guardian, he gave us the key to making it through the valley of shadows (not that he planned to). When we thought The Guardian had come to help us, we felt hope and joy. Even though it wasn’t really him, we realized that when our focus changed from our horrible circumstances to something positive, we gained strength to overcome. That’s how we were able to push on. We focused on our friendship, on things that made us laugh, and things that made us feel glad to be alive. It’s okay to go on with your life even when you lose someone you care about.
        Okay, now I feel better. I guess it was a good thing that I did the blog even though I didn’t want to. Thanks for listening.

The Avoidable Tragedy

        Something terrible happened two weeks ago. That’s why this blog is two weeks late. I just couldn’t deal with the blog until now. I told Pastor Steve all about it, and he wrote it down as a story. It’s okay with me and Carter if you want to share it with your class or friends online. If it helps someone then it won’t be a total loss. Here’s what happened.
                                                    *****
        At their last meeting Kat suggested to Carter, “I think there’s someone we should visit.”
        “Who’s that?”
        “Old Bet.”
        Carter looked surprised. “Why should we visit her? She doesn’t like anybody, and nobody likes her. People say she’s a witch.”
        “Do you really think she’s a witch, Carter? I think she’s just a lonely old woman who doesn’t have anyone in her life who cares about her. I was thinking about Dark Beard whom we met in Dearth. He was a pretty nasty individual, but look how he changed when someone that he hated showed him kindness. I think of Dark Beard as a nice guy just waiting to be set free.”
        Carter said, “That’s true, but before he changed, Dark Beard was just selfish and mean spirited. Old Bet looks like she could be dangerous.”
        “Looks can be deceiving, you know. I’m going to give it a try,” Kat said. “You want to come along?”
        “Not necessarily, but I’m not letting you have an adventure without me. We are partners, after all.”
        “Good, I knew you wouldn’t pass up a good adventure, especially when we might be able to help someone.”
        Old Bet lived in a broken down shack about two miles past a river in a dense forested area. She had lived there for as long as anyone could remember. Whenever people talked about her they would say, “That crazy old hag is dangerous. It wouldn’t be wise to get too close to her.” Up until now, the two twelve-year-olds had heeded that advice. The kids had seen her on a few occasions skulking around scrounging in garbage cans and trash bins. They had also come across her shack while exploring, but they always kept their distance.
        “You know, Carter, I have always found the strange creations Bet makes and puts around her shack, very interesting. The pieces of colored glass she hangs on strings to make wind chimes, the strange shapes she makes out of junk, the way she works shiny pieces of metal into the walls of her shack is very creative and fanciful. The fact that she is creative is a good thing.”
        As the children approached the shack, they saw Bet on her porch hanging a wind chime made of broken pieces of porcelain. Her wild gray hair, deeply wrinkled face, and shabby gray dress made her look very witchy. Upon seeing Carter and Kat, she broke into a wide smile. “Visitors! I do not believe it; I haven’t had visitors in so very long.”
        “That isn’t the greeting I expected,” Carter whispered.
        Kat waved and called out, “I hope we are not disturbing you. We wanted to come and introduce ourselves.”
        “Introduce yourselves to me? Why, I am nobody. Why would you care to waste your time with me?” Before the children could answer, Bet said, “Please come and sit on the porch. I will go inside and make tea for us. Make yourselves comfortable, and I will return shortly.”
        “Carter, she seems nice. She isn’t at all like--”
        Kat wasn’t able to finish her sentence because a very angry Bet came running from behind the shack, shouting, “Who do you think you are coming to my home and sitting on my porch! You will be very sorry you ever dared to come out here!”
        The woman was terrifying to look at. Never had Kat seen anyone so outraged over nothing. The partners stood up and Kat said, “Bet, we’re sorry. You told us to sit on your porch while you made tea. Did we do something to upset you?”
        “Upset me? Upset me? You invade my privacy. You trespass on my property, sit on my porch, and expect me to bring you tea! Stay right here. I am going to get something that will settle this right now!” she screamed and stomped off back around the shack.
        “Kat, she is not sane. We need to get out of here.”
        “I’m with you, let’s run.”
        But just as they stepped off the porch, Bet appeared in the doorway with a tray of tea and cookies. “Where are you going? You are not leaving so soon are you? We haven’t had our tea and refreshments yet.” Bet smiled warmly.
        The partners shared a confused look. “But,” Kat said, “you just told us we were trespassing and that we were bothering you.”
        “Nonsense, I am so pleased and excited to have company. Now before we have our refreshments, you said that you were going to introduce yourselves to me.”
        Warily Carter said, “I am Carter and this is my partner in adventure, Kat.”
        “I’m pleased to meet you. My name is Susan Bet.”
        “Oh, I thought your first name was Bet. I thought that’s why everyone refers to you as Bet,” Carter said.
        Bet just smiled and poured the tea. When she was done pouring she said, “Oh goodness, I forgot the sugar. I will be right back.”
        As Bet went into the shack, Kat called out, “I don’t need sugar, I like mine plain.”
        “NO!” came a loud scream from the shack, and Bet came running back out with a bat in her hand. She was a wild woman. She began hitting the tray of tea cups, smashing everything, all the while screaming, “Don’t drink the tea! I thought you would be gone by now, but here you are still trespassing on my property! What does it take to get rid of you meddling kids!”
        Carter and Kat jumped up in terror. They were convinced that they were dealing with someone who had lost their mind. “Come on Kat,” Carter shouted. “I don’t think there’s anything we can do for Bet.”
        Backing away from the screaming, bat wielding woman, Kat said, “We’re sorry, Bet. We only wanted to let you know that someone cares.” Just then, something totally unexpected happened. A second Bet stepped out of the door of the shack. She looked shocked at what she saw and said, “Bet, what are you doing to our guests. We were having a nice tea party and you have ruined everything! You are a horrible person. You never let me have any fun.”
        “I don’t believe it,” Carter gasped. “You’re twins. There are two of you.”
        “Yes, there are two of us. I am Jane Bet and you have met my sister, Susan. I have to apologies for my sister,” the woman with the bat said. “She has poisoned your tea.”
        Susan Bet pouted. “Jane never lets me have any fun.”
        “Oh, I see now,” Kat said as if she were coming out of a dream. “You were trying to protect us. You were trying to scare us away so that your sister would not trick us into believing that we could trust her. She is the troubled one, not you. Oh Miss Bet, what a lonely life you must live keeping your sister safe and keeping others safe from her. You really should get her some help. This is no way for either of you to live.”
        Jane put the bat down and sat exhausted on a chair. “Yes, I am lonely. Life has been hard for us. Maybe I’m not doing my sister any favors keeping her out here in the middle of nowhere. I don’t know what to do. Thank you, children, for caring enough to come out here, but you should go. It really isn’t safe for you here.”
        Before they left, Carter asked Jane, “What about Susan? Will you get her some help?”
        Jane shrugged, smiled, and said, “Goodbye children. It was nice meeting you.”
        About a month later, Kat asked Carter, “Do you think Jane got Susan some help with her problem?”
        “I don’t know. We should check on them,” Carter said.
        “Okay, this weekend we pay them another visit and see if anything has been done,” Kat said.
        Carter and Kat arrived at the Bet’s shack around one o’clock on a Saturday afternoon. Things were very quiet.
        “Looks like maybe they’re gone,” said Kat.
        Carter called out, “Hello is anyone home?”
        Getting no response, the partners moved up on the porch. “Oh, what an awful smell,” Kat gagged and held her nose.
        “It smells like something died,” Carter observed. “I have a bad feeling about this.”
        Stepping into the one room shack, the children found one of the sisters dead on a cot. It looked as if she had been hit several times with a bat while she slept. On her chest there was a note. Carter picked it up and read it aloud. “Now I can have lots of fun. No more Jane to get in my way. If anyone finds this, don’t bother looking for me. I am going far, far away where no one will know me.”
        Carter and Kat told the sheriff what they found and all that they knew from their previous visit. After that they never heard any more about Susan Bet.
                                                          *****
        There are a lot of things that can be learned from this tragic event. Expect the unexpected. Looks can be deceiving. Don’t accept things from strangers. But the most important lesson is that problems do not just go away. Jane Bet thought she was helping her sister by keeping her away from people. That only makes things worse. Why is it that friends and family think it is better to not get the help their loved ones need? Problems need to be dealt with. Ignoring them makes them worse. I shudder to think what damage Susan will wreak before she is caught. I’m going to bed, and I am going to make sure my door is locked. Be safe, all.

Carter's Illusion of Paradise

        Hi, this is Carter. Kat isn’t feeling too good, so she asked me to do her blog tonight. I told her that I would if she corrected my spelling and stuff before posting it.
        I have been following Kat’s blog, so I know what she has been telling you about our adventures.  She wanted me to talk about what happened to me in Paradise City. I’m not proud of how I acted there. As we traveled through Dearth, the dark land beyond the dead forest, we suffered many hardships and faced many terrifying dangers. So when I came to Paradise City, I thought it was Heaven! I had never seen anything so beautiful in my life. I had never tasted water so sweet or eaten food as delicious as I had in Paradise. And no matter how much I drank or ate, I never felt full. In fact there was always a twinge of hunger and thirst so that whenever you wanted something to eat or drink, you could consume as much as you wanted. 
        The apartments Kat and I stayed in were full of luxuries, entertainments, and rich refreshments. Oh yeah, the view from my balcony overlooking Paradise was breathtaking. When I first saw it, I literally stopped breathing.  The buildings were the most unusual designs and glowing with bright, beautiful colors. I could see parks, amusements, and wonders I cannot even describe. There was so much to explore so many things to experience and enjoy! I was filled with wonder and excitement, greedy to take it all in. I mean, who wouldn’t?
        Well, Kat wasn’t as sold as I was. She wanted to talk about finishing our quest. She wouldn’t stop bringing up the prophesy that some thought might involve us. She was so annoying. I didn’t want to leave Paradise. It was everything I ever imagined Heaven to be. I was done with prophecies and quests; even going home didn’t matter to me anymore. 
        Our first and last night in Paradise, Kat and I quarreled over dinner.  After eating bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs, toast, and hash brown potatoes covered in ketchup, I ordered two extra-large meat pizzas. I ate both of them myself, and then I ate three hot fudge sundaes. Kat watched me eat all that food and finally got fed up with my attitude, and stormed out of the dining area declaring that she was going to bed.
        Talk about a buzz kill, but it was for the best. That was the first step in my wake up call. The second happened when I saw out of the corner of my eye a hideous, fleshless skeleton walking toward me. I nearly jumped out of my skin. But when I turned toward the skeleton, all I saw was my waitress bringing another pizza. When she saw that I was startled, I tried to explain that since I hadn’t ordered the pizza, that she just caught me by surprise. But she did not seem convinced, and her attitude turned cold and suspicious.
        I didn’t want the pizza she brought, but I decided to eat it and see if I could catch the vision of the skeleton again.  I had to know if it was my imagination or if there was something really wrong going on. When it happened again, I went to Kat’s room and told her what I had seen. Then it occurred to us that if the staff were not what they appeared to be then nothing in Paradise was what it appeared to be. It was all an illusion to keep us deluded and distracted until we died of thirst and hunger. It was a trap set by the Adversary to keep us from completing our quest.
        Whenever I think that I let the temptations of that illusion almost keep me from true paradise, I cannot help but think that our world is filled with all sorts of temptations that promise so much, but they are empty promises the Adversary uses to keep people occupied until their spirits starve to death and they miss true paradise.
        Even though I am not proud of how I acted in Paradise City, I am glad that I was able to learn from it and escape before it was too late. Is there something you need to escape from that is keeping you from completing your true purpose in life? I hope that you didn’t miss Kat too much. She should be back next week.

Kat’s Feeling Bad about Mother’s Day

        Hey everyone. It’s me again, Kat. I’m feeling a little bad about Mother’s Day. I guess I should have blogged about it last week instead of the scary incident that happened to Carter and me. I have to admit that it was partly rebellion on my side of it. Sometimes my mom makes me so mad! Okay, to be honest, I make her mad too—on purpose, sometimes.
        Not to give too much personal information away (That would really upset her and then she might make me quit the blog.) but when I was five years old, my dad moved us to this small community of eleven houses in the middle of the Texas wilderness. We have to drive four miles just to get to a gas station/convenience store/café. That’s our downtown. Then Dad just up and leaves us here. Oh he sends just enough money every month to pay the bills, but that’s all. It has been just me and my mother for seven years, and she is so unhappy. I at least have my best friend Carter. She has no one. I know she loves me, but she is so hurt and lonely. Sometimes it’s too much for her, and she lets it all out--usually on me.
        I love my mom, but I wish she could be more like the mother Carter and I met in Dearth (the dark land that lies beyond the dead forest). Now I know this is going to sound crazy, but this grown woman had twelve rag dolls that she believed were her children! And after what we experienced with her, they might have been! When I finish telling you what happened, you can be the judge.
        One night we came to this little one room cabin. We looked in the window and saw a woman sitting on her bed, hugging a bunch of rag dolls, crying, and saying, “My baby, my baby,” over and over again.
        We knocked and she let us in. Her name was Agaphy, and she told us that one of her babies was missing. She had torn her house apart looking for him, but she couldn’t find him. She was so distraught and full of anguish that it broke my heart to see her in such pain.
        Luckily, Carter found the little rag doll outside by a tree where the family had picnicked earlier that day. Later when I asked Carter how he found it, he told me that he heard something moving in a bush by the tree. When he looked to see what it was, he saw a little wad of rags and yarn. He brought it in the house and asked Agaphy if it was what she was looking for. She appeared to be as relieved as a real parent would be upon finding a lost child. Truthfully, the rag doll was the smallest most tattered of all the dolls. It was something that most people would just throw away.
        She was so happy that she insisted on having a party to celebrate. The woman placed the dolls around the table, and we ate cake and sang the “children’s” favorite songs. Of course the dolls just sat and stared at us. Agaphy made excuses for their lack of participation, saying that the “children” ate their cake while Carter and I went outside for a private chat. She told us that they were too shy to talk to strangers or sing in front of people. However, she assured us that once they got to know us, they would be all over us. Of course we didn’t believe any of it. That is until we went to bed and the lights went out.
        When it was time for bed, Agaphy kissed each one of the dolls and told them how much she loved them as she arranged them in her bed. Carter and I slept on the floor wrapped in our bedrolls. Once Agaphy blew out the candles we heard shuffling sounds and little clicking noises coming from all around us. It sounded like dozens of mice were moving about the room. When I felt something touch my cheek, I screamed. Carter sat up, grabbed our flashlight, and pointed the light around. The dolls were scattered about the room. Agaphy laughed and said that her children were just playing in the dark, and they would settle down when they got tired. Carter whispered to me that Agaphy must have thrown the dolls around room when the lights went out. But she heard him and insisted that she would never throw her children. As soon as we turned the light off, we heard what sounded like tiny voices laughing. Then there was a loud click followed by little voices laughing all around the room. Carter turned on the light again and we could see that the dolls had shifted locations in the dark. That was all we could take. Carter and I packed up our bedrolls and left the house.
        I have to say, even though that was one creepy night in Dearth, I saw unconditional love for the first time. Agaphy truly loved her “children.” And she loved the smallest, most pathetic little wad of rags as much, if not more, than all the others. To be loved like that would set you free.
        I’ll be talking to you again, soon. Night all.

The Kat Trap

        Hi everyone, sorry to be so late with my blog, but I have a good excuse. Something terrifying happened to Carter and me last week. I told Pastor Steve all about it and gave him permission to write it as a story. It took him longer than expected, but he finally got it done.
                                                       *****
        Kat’s green eyes flashed and her face turned as red as her hair. “Carter, this is one of the craziest things you have ever tried to rope me into. There’s a barbed wire fence around this pasture and No Trespassing signs posted every 30 feet!”
        “I know.” The blond haired boy said with a mischievous twinkle in his blue eyes. “But look at that tree in the middle of the field. Have you ever seen anything like it?”
        Kat calmed a bit and tried to focus on what Carter was pointing at. “That’s very odd, isn’t it? I’ve never seen a tree that has two trunks that become one halfway up. They aren’t just touching or entwined; they actually become a single tree.” Kat stepped onto the second of four strands of barbed wire on the fence. Carter held her waist from behind to steady her, and she used her hands to shield her eyes. “What’s that between the tree trunks? It looks like a mist.”
        “Pretty cool, huh?” Carter said. “The space between the trunks is like a triangular doorway with a misty curtain hiding what lies beyond.”
        “Here, help me down,” Kat said. “We’ll never know, will we? Mr. Dow said that if he caught us on his property again that he would call the Sheriff, and have our parents fined. I’d be grounded for a month! And if you will recall, we promised Mr. Dow that we would stay off his property; we gave our word.”
        “Yes, but that was before we knew there would be another invitation to places unknown. Don’t you see the connection between the dead forest attracting our curiosity to draw us into a quest, and this curiosity? They are both tree related. When we were here two months ago, there were no trees growing in this field. That strange oak appeared out of nowhere just as mysteriously as the dead forest. And FYI, I know for a fact that Mr. Dow took his family on a cruise to Panama. There’s no way we can get caught.”
        “How do you know he’s on a cruise?”
        “It doesn’t matter. I wouldn’t lie about this, Kat; trust me. We have to do this.”
        Kat looked around as if she were checking to make sure no one was watching them.
        “I had a dream last night about The Guardian,” Carter blurted out. (Carter and Kat met The Guardian on their adventures beyond the dead forest. He supported and guided them as they quested in the land of Dearth.)
        Kat turned to Carter, her eyes almost popped out of her head. “You dreamed about Guard? Did he say anything?”
        “He said, ‘When you are tempted, I will always make a way of escape.’ Then I woke up. Come on Kat, you know you want to check it out. I can see it all over you. This may begin a whole new adventure like when we went to the land of Dearth.”
       “Are you positive we won’t get caught?”
        Carter let out a WOOP of excitement. “Yes!” Grinning, he reached down and pulled a strand of barbed wire up so Kat could climb through. Once on the other side of the fence, they proceeded in silence focused on the strange object before them. When they arrived Carter said, “I can’t see anything through that stuff.”
        “Neither can I. There’s no sound coming through either,” Kat said.
        Carter put his hands on his hips and said, “Okay, you stay here while I go into the mist and see what I can find out. Then I’ll come back and report.”
        Kat shook her head. “No way, Carter, either we go in together or I’ll go in without you.”
        Carter opened his mouth as if to protest and then closed it, nodded, and shrugged.
        “No argument? Well that’s progress.” Kat smiled triumphantly. Before Carter could respond, she playfully punched him in the arm. “But you can go first.”
        “I wouldn’t have it any other way.” With that settled Carter grabbed Kat’s hand and pulled her into the mist.
        Caught by surprise Kat squealed, “Carter!” She expected that he would have tested the mist curtain by sticking a hand or a foot in first. She figured the abrupt act was punishment for not letting him have his way. Besides feeling surprised, she also felt an uncomfortable sense of being sucked into whatever was beyond the curtain. However, these unsettling sensations were nothing compared to what she experienced once she saw what was behind the curtain. Kat swooned with dizziness, felt sick to her stomach, and thought she was going insane.
        The two friends found themselves in a small cramped space shaped like the inside of a tin can. The ceiling was a mere four inches above their heads. The rounded wall that surrounded them, the floor and ceiling were a dull gray. Most shocking was the fact that they were not alone. Standing almost on top of them were three more Carters and Kats looking back at them!
        “What the…” Carter said with shock on his face.
        “I think I am going to be sick,” Kat said. 
        The Carter standing directly in front of them said, “Calm yourselves. You’re not going insane. You need to listen to me. Time is running out, and we are in mortal danger. You two are the fourth team of Carter and Kat to enter this trap set for us by the Adversary.” The Carter serving as spokesman touched the shoulder of the Kat standing to his right. “Kat and I were the first to enter, so we are Carter one and Kat one.” Pointing to the Carter and Kat standing to his right he said, “Two, and on my left is three. We are sealed inside a dimensional pocket where time moves at a different rate than in our world. When I entered, every two minutes that passed in here, was an hour in our world. Each time we enter this place the day resets, repeats, and time slows down in here which makes it appear that time speeds up in our world. As you can see, in this tiny dimensional pocket we continue to exist as separate individuals. When you two entered, time changed again. We are not sure by how much, but it’s possible that we only have about ten minutes before group five comes in. When five enters, we will be so tightly packed in here that we will barely be able to move. Then five or so minutes after that, team six will enter. When they do, we will be smashed in here so tightly that we will not be able to expand our chests to breathe, and we will suffocate. That leaves us only about fifteen minutes to figure this out. And before you ask, we have searched every inch of the floor, wall, and ceiling several times. There is no way out.”
        Carter four turned toward the entrance and said, “What about the doorwa…?” He expected to see the misty curtain blocking the doorway. Instead, he found a clear opening. Day had already turned to night and time seemed to be moving so fast that he could actually see the stars move across the sky.
        Carter one said, “It’s an invisible force field. We have pushed, kicked, pounded, and thrown our bodies against it. Trust me there is no way out.”
        “Then what?” asked Carter four. “What haven’t you tried? What’s left to try?”
        Carter one said, “We’ve been so focused on searching for a physical solution to this problem that we’re having a hard time switching gears. We are hoping that you can come up with a new approach. I’m turning leadership over to you.”
        Carter four knew that there was no use in arguing with Carter one, so he just nodded agreement. Then he turned to Kat four and asked, “What do you think? Any ideas come to mind?”
        “No ideas just a concern that when team five comes through they will find themselves crammed in here with four duplicates of themselves. When we came in, I was so shocked that I almost panicked. It will be worse for them, and I know me. Kat five will panic and maybe even go into shock.”
        Carter four said, “Kat, we need to focus on getting out of here. When five comes through, the time difference will be such that we may not even have time to explain the situation to them before the sixth team comes in and we all die!”
        After a bit more discussion on the matter Carter three shouted, “Look, the sun’s already up!”
        Carter four turned and looked out at the brightly lit field. “But how can that be? We’ve only been talking a few minutes. How long has the sun been up?”
        Kat four shrieked. “Team five’s already at the fence. Quick, everyone move back away from the doorway, look down, and cover your faces with your hands!” Kat again glanced through the doorway just in time to see team five stop before the curtain. She covered her face and yelled, “They’re coming now!”
        Carter and Kat five appeared in the small space left to them as expected. “What’s happening? I can’t move,” Carter five said. “Who are you people?”
        The teams with their faces covered did not respond. Kat five said, “Carter, look. They are all wearing the same clothes we are.”
        Carter four lifted his head and said, “Do not be afraid. I will explain what’s happening. I’m going to lower my hands; try not to be shocked. We’re almost out of time and every second counts.”
        When he uncovered his face, Kat five gasped, and Carter five said, “You’re me? Why? What is this?”
        Carter four proceeded to explain, as quickly as he could, their situation. When he finished, the others uncovered their faces.
        Carter one said, “We have to solve this now. We only have about two minutes before team six reaches the fence.”
        Kat four said, “Carter, you said Guard told you in a dream that he will always make a way of escape. Where is the promised escape from here?”
        “No. Guard said that he will make a way of escape if we are tempted,” Carter four said. “The mysterious tree tempted us. We gave in to the temptation and broke the law and our word to Mr. Dow. We are now in the consequences of not taking the way of escape from our temptation.”
        “Are you saying there’s no way out for us?” Carter five asked.
        Carter four said, “No, think about it. What if Carter and Kat six take the way of escape and never step through the barbed wire fence?”
        “What chance is there of that?” Kat four asked. “Why would they make a different decision than we did? It’s us out there.”
        “Wait a minute. Wait a minute. I have it! That is us out there. And it’s us in here. We may be six teams of Carter and Kat, but we are all of one mind. We are Carter and Kat. We thought the mystery that tempted us in here was an invitation left by Guard to begin a new adventure. But we should have known that Guard would never tempt us to do something wrong. We know now that the Adversary is behind this. We all have to make up our mind that if Guard would not do it, then we should not do it.”
                                                      *****
        … “What’s that between the tree trunks? It looks like a mist.”
        “Pretty cool, huh?” Carter said. “The space between the trunks is like a triangular doorway with a misty curtain hiding what lies beyond.”
        “Here, help me down,” Kat said. “We’ll never know, will we? Mr. Dow said that if he caught us on his property again that he would call the Sheriff, and have our parents fined. I’d be grounded for a month! And if you will recall, we promised Mr. Dow that we would stay off his property; we gave our word.”
        Carter was about to point out that the tree had to be an invitation to another adventure when it suddenly occurred to him that Guard would never tempt them to break the law or their word. “Yes, I hate to admit it, but you’re right. I think a good guide for us to use in deciding what is right and what is wrong is to ask ourselves, what would Guard do.”
        Then, the tree disappeared and the two friends were given understanding of all that took place inside the trap.
                                                       *****
        I tell you, when Carter and I made the decision to escape temptation and we were given the knowledge of all the other times we yielded to the temptation, I almost lost it. We came so close to making a fatal error. To think, if we had stepped over that fence and went into that dimension… It makes me shudder, and it makes me feel sick. I‘m going to bed. Night everybody.

Kat and the Angry Rich Man

        What a strange day we had today. My mother and I were at the café having lunch, when this older woman walks in with her chauffeur. I’m not kidding you! Oh, and I had to look up how to spell chauffeur. It took me a long time too; I thought it started with an s. I looked out the window, and there was this long black limo. It was the first one I had ever seen in person. It was BIG!
        Back to the lady, she had these big rings on her fingers with millions of diamonds, diamond earrings, and a watch encrusted with diamonds. Encrusted? Is that the right word? Well, there were lots of diamonds on her watch too. The first thing she says (loud enough for everyone to hear) as she is walking in the door is, “What a dump. Of all the places to break down, couldn’t you have planned things better, Mickels?”
        Mickels didn’t say a word, and the woman just kept on talking. “Well, isn’t anyone going to seat me? Don’t you people know who I am? I could buy this place with the pocket change I carry in my purse.” Then she pulls out a wad of bills and holds it up for everyone to see. The chauffeur looked very uncomfortable.
        While watching this, I remembered a man Carter and I met in Dearth who was like this woman. It was while we were walking through a section of the eastern path that was the floor of a deep gorge with towering cliffs of brick red rock on either side. The path was only a couple feet wide at some points and even narrower where parts of the rock jutted out from the walls. It was so hot; the sun was beating down, and no breeze could penetrate. At the narrowest point of the gorge we came upon an angry, frustrated man. His puffy, purple face was dripping with sweat. He was wearing a thick coat that extended out from his body several inches, and on his back he carried a large backpack. It was obvious that he was upset because he couldn’t fit through the narrow space with the load he was carrying. His load was money. He had money stuffed everywhere, and he couldn’t fit through the tight bottleneck that was called The Needle’s Eye.
        We offered to help him, but he kept accusing us of trying to trick him out of his money. No matter how hard we tried to reason with him, he just wouldn’t trust us. Eventually we asked him if he would let us go past him, and he screamed at us to leave him alone. It was a frightening situation, and you can read all about how Carter and I got past the rich man in “Beyond the Dead Forest.” It was kind of funny, yet it was sad too. Once we got past him, and he finally realized that he would not be able to move through The Needle’s Eye unless he left his wealth behind, he sat down on a rock, hugged his pack, and a blank look came into his eyes.
        It troubled me that he was so desperate to hold onto his wealth even if it meant that he would not be able to move on to his final destination. Then Carter said something that made sense. “It’s what he worked for his whole life. He put his time, energy, and life into it. To leave it behind would be to admit that he wasted his life, and it had no value or meaning.”
        And that rich lady in the café who made such a show of her wealth, she complained about everything. Even though the waitresses and everyone who worked in the café tried to please her, she left in a huff and didn’t even leave a tip. Everyone was sure glad to see her leave.
        All rich people aren’t like the two in my blog, but there are some people who really don’t know what real wealth is. I’m glad Carter and I learned what is really valuable from our adventures we experienced beyond Dead Forest. Good night everyone.

Carter's Scary Story

        Hello everyone. Did you have a good Easter? Thinking about this week’s blog, I remembered another story Carter told me one night around the campfire as we traveled through Dearth. The story scared me so bad I couldn't sleep. This story didn't make it into the book about our adventures "Beyond the Dead Forest," but it needs to be told.
                                                       ****
        Perry was fifteen. He and his dad enjoyed taking weekend camping trips together. They liked fishing, hiking, and especially exploring. Parry’s dad heard a fellow at work talking about an out-of-the-way campsite that was supposed to be haunted. He said that he would never take his family there because most people never returned.
        Perry begged his dad to take him saying, “You always say there’s no such thing as ghosts. If you believe that then why won’t you take me there?”
        “Son, of course I don’t believe in ghosts, but there must be something up there that people are mistaking as ghosts. Even though it isn’t haunted, it still might be dangerous.”
        “Dad, why don’t you call the forest service and see what they say?”
        “That’s a good idea.” After Perry’s dad got off the phone he said, “I guess it’ll be okay. The ranger I talked to said that it’s a very rough place. There are some bears and mountain lions in the area, but as long as we’re careful we should be okay.”
        The first day of their trip, they arrived after dark and had to use their car headlights to put up the tent and start a fire. Once camp was setup the father and son roasted hotdogs on sticks and roasted marshmallows for desert. “You know, dad, it’s really quiet here. It doesn’t seem any different than the other places we have camped.”
        “That’s true, son. And most of the places we’ve camped have had bears and mountain lions. I don’t think we need to worry; but just in case, when you get up to relieve yourself, stay close to the fire, and take a flashlight with you.”
        “Sure dad, not a problem.”
        Tired from their long drive and planning an early start to go fishing, they crawled into their sleeping bags as soon as they finished dinner. Perry woke up after a couple hours. His father was snoring, and Perry had to relieve himself. Since he was going to be behind a tree just a few feet from the fire, he decided that he did not need a light.
        Once he got around the other side of the tree, it was darker than he expected; he couldn’t see a thing. He tried to walk back to the other side of the tree where he could see the fire, but he tripped on a rock and rolled down a long slanting cliff that he didn’t realize was on the dark side of the tree. He was badly banged up; his right arm was broken. He was in total darkness; he didn’t know where he was or what was around him. He yelled, “Dad! Dad! I fell and I can’t see. HELP!”
When he listened for an answer back from his father, he heard something. But what he heard was not from his dad. It was a low, long growl. Perry froze. His heart was beating so fast it felt like it would burst. He didn’t know what to do. If he called out again, whatever was in the dark might attack him. If he ran, he would fall in the dark and be attacked. Then he heard large cracking sounds as something big moved toward him in the dark. Perry screamed, “DAD, PLEASE, DAD!”
        Perry’s Dad opened his eyes. He thought he had heard something. He sat up and listened. Hearing nothing more, he turned over and went back to sleep. When he woke the next morning, he looked over at his son’s sleeping bag. It was empty. He called out, “Perry. Perry, where are you?” The father searched the area, but there was no sign of his son. He called in the forest rangers, and they searched for several days, but they never found any trace of the boy.
                                                       ****
        That story always gives me the shivers. To think, if Perry had just taken the light, he would have seen the danger he was in. But with no light to illuminate his path, he fell into a pit where death was waiting. I cannot help but think that there is a life lesson here.

Easter Gift from Kat

      HAPPY EASTER!!!

 

    Y F J S                             

  S T E O R B           O A Z A        

Z U P C S O K R       R L E T E I      

V S M O E M R B       I B H C H B      

L E E V P A Q P     V I I I S T E S    

  J U E H N W     E R R O P T A A E W  

    C R M S       B D J I N O M R A O  

      U           D E C W A N I T L R  

S M   P     T Y A R E A W J E R H E S T

A A   I   Q H Y S S D R A E F A Q D H V

L R L P C I N C A R N A T I O N U S I L

  Y O   R U X   E S I R N U S S A L P X

      S U H     E F I L R G P Z K N L S

        C       Z D M G N E I I E J E V

        I       A E S G Y O P S L M D Q

        F         R Y L U A H O U A O  

    Q G I G R     A E N E A D F R Z T K

  L I N E N B E Q E V T B G R I B T R E

S S U N D A Y I Y P K S E E N D L O E Z

J T O M B W R A P P E D P P G A S O D D

C H R I S T P I L A T E M N E S I R H Y

ALIVE        EARTHQUAKE   MARY        SEALED

ANGELS       EMPTY        PERFUMES    SIGN

APPEARED     FEAR         PETER       SPICES

ARIMATHEA    GUARDS       PILATE      STONE

BODY         HOLIDAY      PILATE      SUNDAY

BRIBE        INCARNATION  PROOF       SUNRISE

CHRIST       JESUS        REJOICE     THIRD DAY

COVER UP     JOSEPH       REPORTED    TOMB

CRUCIFIED    LIFE         RISEN       WORSHIP

DAWN         LINEN        ROMANS      WRAPPED

Kat and Innocent Blood

        Many things happened to Carter and me beyond Dead Forest in the land of Dearth. Some of those things still haunt me. There is one that broke my heart.
        Carter and I had been traveling on foot through some very rugged country when we were surprised and happy to see Guard on the side of the road that we had been looking for. As usual, Guard had some of our favorite food waiting for us. At the end of our visit, a flock of sheep heading west made it impossible for us to continue our journey east until they passed.
        Soon after we resumed traveling on the eastern path, we discovered that one of the sheep was following us. He wasn’t quite fully grown, and we tried to take him back to his flock, but he ran away from us until we finally decided to let him tag along. We didn’t have much choice; however, Carter and I actually became very fond of the little sheep, and we even gave him a name, Jessie.
        Stroking his thick wool was a comfort to us as we sat around our campfire at night. Traveling during the day on the rocky, chuckhole riddled path, we held onto Jessie’s wool to steady ourselves to keep from turning an ankle or breaking a leg. I began to feel that Jessie had come to us as a help and encouragement, but the truth was that he came to us for something much more important.
        The day we met Guard, had lunch, and met Jessie, Guard had cautioned us to stay on the eastern path until we came to the adobe. Traveling the eastern path was dangerous and exhausting, so when we saw a paved side road with a sign that said Adobe Road, Carter insisted that this easy road would take us to the adobe building we were looking for. I wasn’t sure, but I let Carter convince me to go along. I have to admit that it didn’t take much convincing. Adobe Road was smooth and wide and we were so tired from struggling on the eastern path, that it was a welcome relief. But as we traveled Adobe Road I couldn’t help feeling that we were making a mistake. Then when the road began to narrow and deteriorate, I was just about to make my concerns known to Carter when I was interrupted by the terrifying roar of a huge mountain lion! It was perched on a large rock looking right at us. We knew if we ran it would chase us down and kill us, so we stood frozen. However, the beast must have been hungry because it jumped off its rock and charged straight for us. We didn’t know what to do. Then Jessie ran past us directly toward the lion. He distracted it away from us, and the lion grabbed Jessie by the back of the neck, turned, and ran off with the poor little lamb hanging limply from its slobbering mouth.
        Carter and I ran as fast as we could back to the eastern path. What else could we do? We couldn’t save Jessie. The little lamb gave his life for our bad choice. If it hadn’t been for him, we would have died. It should have been us—he was innocent. I think somehow Jessie knew that we were going to make a wrong turn, and that’s why he came to be with us. He knew that we needed to be saved from ourselves. I think about that a lot… I’m tired… Good night, everyone.

Kat, Snakes, and the Pit

        I’m glad it’s blog night. I’m struggling with a problem. I know the right thing to do, but it would be so much easier to just go along and keep my mouth shut.
        See, here’s the thing, I know better. I mentioned to you before in another blog about when Carter and I were in Dearth beyond Dead Forest, we traveled through this huge cave called the Forge of Providence. We had to accomplish certain tasks successfully in order to escape the caverns. At one point we were traveling on a wide, easy path on the ledge of a huge drop. We were doing just fine until we came to a two-rope-bridge, two ropes running parallel one above the other.
        Even though there were many footprints leading past the ropes, Carter thought we should use the bridge to cross the expanse. I had no intention of crossing a bottomless expanse, so wide you couldn’t see the other side, on a rope. Carter tried to talk me into it saying, “It’s not that bad. We made a two-rope-bridge at summer camp. You stand on the bottom rope, hold onto the top rope, and sidestep across. It’s fun.”
        If it hadn’t been for the girl calling for help from the other side of the gulf, I wouldn’t have done it. And that’s another thing; that girl was so rude to us. Can you imagine someone who needs your help insulting you in the same breath she asks for it? But even worse, she told us that we had to cross the rope bridge in total darkness. We couldn’t use our flashlights because of the rope snakes. Poisonous snakes roamed the ropes that would go berserk if we used light while crossing.
        Okay so here were our choices, walk on an easy safe path that lots of people have traveled before or face almost certain death crossing a bottomless expanse on a rope infested with poisonous snakes in total darkness to help some rude girl with a nasty attitude that we don’t even know! We knew the right thing to do. I hate to admit it, but Carter was braver than I was. He took some excess rope that was leftover where the bridge was tied off on our side and made a tether for me. If I slipped, he could keep me from falling. To my shame, I was more afraid that he would fall and pull me off the bridge. It was a harrowing experience, and you can read all about it in “Beyond the Dead Forest.”
        It turns out that if we hadn’t taken the rope bridge we would have died for sure. The easy path most people took eventually came to a dark place that had a gradual slope.  Before you realized it, you would fall into the pit. No one ever survived it. The rope bridge was the narrowest, most dangerous path I could ever imagine, but it was the only way to freedom.
        When we finally got to the other side, we found that the girl did not need our help. She told us that we were being tested to see if we would risk our lives to help someone who was mean to us. If we were willing to do that and survived, then we would be on the right path.
        I know, I shouldn’t be questioning if I should do the right thing over the easy thing. Doing the right thing always keeps us on the right path. Thanks for listening. Night all.

Kat and the Deadly Lie

        One night after we set up camp, (when Carter and I traveled beyond Dead Forest) Carter told me a story about a boy he met at summer camp. This story was not included in the book about our adventures, but it is a story that should be shared. I think about it sometimes, and it reminds me how important it is to tell the truth. This is what happened.
                                                           ***
        Trevor Hays, along with several boys from his cabin, went to the swimming pond right after first day orientation at the Dusty Hills Summer Camp. Even though the counselors emphasized that throwing rocks anywhere on the campgrounds was forbidden, the boys decided to have a rock-skimming contest.
        Soon after the start of the contest, a counselor approached them. All the boys, except for Trevor, saw him and ran. Trevor was so focused on skimming a rock better than anyone else, that he did not realize the counselor was right behind him watching him. He threw a flat rock that skipped eight times, and he shouted, “Did you see that one?” He turned around excitedly only to discover that he was alone with the camp counselor. The boy immediately said, “I didn’t throw any rocks.”
        “Who said you did?” the counselor asked.
        Trevor shrugged and looked down at the ground.
        “Trevor, did you know that it is very dangerous to lie?” The counselor put a gentle hand on the boys shoulder.
        The nine-year-old boy looked up into the counselor’s eyes and said, “I’m not lying. I was just pretending to throw the rocks into the pond. I didn’t really throw any. The other boys were doing it, not me.”
        The counselor ignored this and said, “The problem with lying is that people stop believing you, even when you tell them the truth. There will come a time when you will need someone to believe you, but even though you are telling the truth, you will not be able to convince them.”
        Trevor insisted, “I’m not lying.”
        The counselor looked at the boy with a sad expression and said, “Okay son, go get washed up for lunch.”
        Trevor figured that the counselor knew that he was lying, but he was afraid that he would get into trouble if he admitted the truth.
        He ran into his cabin. Each cabin had enough bunk beds for twenty boys. Feeling relieved that he did not get into trouble, Trevor playfully banged the bedposts as he walked by them. One of the beds he hit was Big Burt’s. Burt was on the top bunk and had just taken off his new digital watch and laid it on his bed. When Trevor hit the bedpost, the watch fell onto the floor and shattered. Burt yelled, “Who hit my bed? Someone hit my bed and knocked my new watch on the floor. My grandmother gave me that watch for my birthday! Who did it?” he demanded, looking at each kid in the room.
        Trevor figured that if one of the boys had seen him hit Burt’s bed, he would have told on him by now. Since no one said anything, Trevor said, “It wasn’t me, but I saw Leon Lipzer kick the bottom of your mattress.”
        Burt jumped down ready to grab Leon and take him outside to teach him to be more careful, but when he looked in the bottom bunk, Leon was not there. Just then, Leon came walking out of the bathroom and saw everyone standing around his bed. “Hey, why’s everyone around my bunk?”
        Burt asked Leon, “How long have you been in the bathroom?”
        The confused boy shrugged. “I don’t know, maybe ten minutes. I was feeling a little carsick from the ride up here, so I thought I would stay in the bathroom until I was feeling better. I didn’t want to hurl in the cabin and stink up the place.”
        All eyes turned to Trevor. Bert was furious. “It was you wasn’t it Hays? You hit the bed and tried to blame it on Leon. What kind of a liar are you?”
        “It wasn’t me, honest. I didn’t even touch the beds when I came in here.”
         Two boys who had bunk beds by the door said, “That’s not true, Burt. Hays hit our beds when he came in the cabin. We can’t see your bunk from where we are, but he might have hit your bed too.”
        Burt said, “I think you did it, Hays. You lied about not hitting any of the beds. You lied about Leon kicking my mattress. I know you did it, but since I can’t prove it, I’m not going to pound you.”
         Trevor felt relieved that Burt was not going to hurt him, but he did feel bad that Burt’s watch was broken. Trevor was starting to think that he needed to do something to get the heat and attention off himself. Everyone was starting to think that he was a lying creep, so he cooked up a plan. He decided that when everyone was taking their showers before bed, he would take some money out of a couple of the guy’s packs and put it in Leon’s pack. Trevor didn’t feel too bad about setting up Leon. He didn’t like him. Leon wore thick glasses and had bushy black hair. Trevor thought that Leon was a geek, and it didn’t matter what he did to him.
        That night, Trevor made sure he was the first one done showering. He hurried back to the cabin and went through the packs closest to Leon’s bed. He found about twenty dollars in each pack, and put the money into Leon’s pack.
        Later, while everyone was getting ready for bed, one of the guys yelled, “Who took my money?” Then another yelled, “Somebody took my money too!”
        Everybody looked right at Trevor. “What? Why is everyone looking at me? I didn’t take anything. Why don’t you look in Leon’s pack?”
        Burt said, “What’s with you and Leon? This is the second time you have tried to blame him for something.”
        “Just look in his pack,” Trevor insisted.
         Leon said, “It’s okay; I’ll look.” He opened his pack, rooted around his things. “Nothing but the fifteen dollars I brought.”
        Trevor shouted, “You’re lying. Someone check his stuff; look in the red money pouch under his socks.”
        Leon asked Trevor, “How would you know I had a red money pouch under my socks unless you were in my pack?”
        Everyone turned back to Trevor. “Uh…oh yeah…I saw it earlier when you were going through your stuff.”
        “I haven’t unpacked my stuff yet, and I never took my red money pouch out of my pack. No one knows about it, except me and someone who put stolen money in it to make it look like I took it.”
        Trevor clammed up. “That does it Hays,” said Big Burt. “You’re a lying creep, and we don’t want to have anything to do with you.” After that, no one would play with or even talk to Trevor unless they had to.
        During free times when everyone was allowed to play and do what they wanted, Trevor would walk out into the forest behind the swimming pond. He would sit and think about how everyone was being mean to him. On one of these trips he heard someone walking behind him. He turned hoping to see one of the boys from his cabin coming to play with him. Instead, he saw a little dog with floppy ears, a long nose, and short, brown on white spotted fur. It was a happy, energetic animal with a long tail that never stopped wagging.
        Trevor called to the dog, and it ran to him. Trevor petted and loved on the friendly animal. “What’s your name boy? I think I’ll call you Buddy because you’re my buddy. Yeah, you’re my buddy aren’t you boy? You’re the only friend I have at this awful place,” the lonely boy said as he loved on the dog. They played for a long time. Buddy fetched sticks; they chased each other, and even played catch with a pinecone.
        Trevor was feeling better now that he had someone to play with. He told his friend everything that was happening to him. He told him that the other kids were mean to him and hated him for no reason at all. The dog just listened, licked Trevor’s hand, and then rested his head in the boy’s lap.
        Time was getting late when Trevor said, “Come on and let’s play a little more before I have to leave for dinner.” Buddy jumped up and started running into the forest. Trevor shouted, “I’m going to get you; you better run.” Laughing he chased after Buddy. Then something unexpected happened. Trevor heard a loud yelp, and then he heard the dog crying in pain.
        “Oh no!” the boy yelled. “Are you hurt? Where are you boy? I’m coming! I’m coming!” He followed the cries and found Buddy in a deep pit. Someone had dug a hole and covered it with branches and leaves. When the dog run onto the covering it collapsed, and he fell. Trevor could see that Buddy was badly hurt. He was bleeding, and it looked like one of his legs was broken. It was too deep for the boy to climb down to the dog, so he said, “Don’t worry boy; I’ll get help.”
        Trevor ran as fast as he could back to camp. He ran up to the children who were waiting in line for dinner. He told them about the dog falling into the pit, but the kids just laughed at him. “Get in line Hays. We don’t want to hear any more of your lies.”
        “It’s true; I’m telling the truth. Buddy will die if you don’t help me.”
        Leon heard what Trevor was saying and responded with, “Shut up liar, no one believes you. You just want to trick us into the forest so you can get first in line.”
        “He’s going to die, you stupid people! Why won’t anyone believe me?” He was crying now in frustration. He ran to the office to see if he could find a counselor because he knew a counselor would help. Trevor found the man who had caught him throwing rocks in the pond.
        “Hi Trevor, why aren’t you in line for dinner?” Trevor told the counselor about the dog and begged him to come and save him. The counselor shook his head sadly and said, “That is some story, Trevor. Son, as I told you at the pond, someday your lies are going to catch up with you. Now run along and get in the dinner line.”
        Before Trevor could say anything else, the office phone rang and the counselor answered it. He said to Trevor, “I have to take this call. Run along and no more lying.”
        Trevor felt like he was in a nightmare. His only friend at camp was dying, and he could do nothing to save him. He ran into the cafeteria and begged, “Please, please won’t anyone believe me? I’m telling the truth. I lied before, but now I’m telling the truth. There is a dog in a pit trap, he is bleeding, and I think one of his legs is broken. Please, someone help me save him.”
        Trevor had told too many lies and had done too many dishonest things. No one trusted him. They started throwing food at him and yelled, “Sit down and shut up, Hays.”
        Trevor ran out of the cafeteria and went back to the pit. The dog was no longer moving or making any sounds. The boy sat on the edge of the pit and cried. “Those people are horrible. They won’t even help a little dog. I hate them!”
        It was dark now, and Trevor heard a councilor call his name. “I’m over here; please help me!”
        The counselor arrived with a flashlight. He pointed the light down at the dog, and he could see that it was dead. “Trevor, I am sorry about the dog.”
        “It’s their fault. It’s your fault. No one would help me,” Trevor said bitterly, and then wiped his nose on his sleeve.
        The counselor sat beside Trevor and put his arm around his shoulders. “Trevor, do you remember what happened the first day of camp when you were throwing rocks in the swimming pond? Do you remember me telling you what would happen if you continued to lie? I’m not saying you are responsible for the dog’s death. He was too badly hurt. But the reason nobody believes you is because you made it impossible for people to trust you. That’s what I meant when I said it’s dangerous to lie.”                                                 
                                                            ***
        We do not know what happened to Trevor after camp. I just hope that he understands now why being truthful is so important.