OH THE PLACES WE SHOULD GO - A GREAT PLACE TO REST FROM ALL YOUR LABOR

VISITING GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA

(Writing and photography 
by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

Labor Day is upon us.  I can't believe it.  Football season has started and signs are everywhere that Fall is almost officially here!  It just happens to be my favorite season of the year, and I am always glad to stop on Labor Day and take a rest from my labors and ponder the exciting things around the corner.

What are you doing for Labor Day this year?  Will  you hit the road for a long weekend like most Americans?   We are not able to travel this year for many reasons, but don't you think for a moment that it did not cross my mind.  I know just where I would have been if things had worked out.   Don’t you wish you knew of a place not too far away, that is relaxing and yet full of fun things to do that are family oriented, interesting, not too crowded, a place full of fun things that will not break the budget?  Don’t shake your head and laugh….I happen to know just the place.
 
If you haven’t spent a long weekend in Greenville, South Carolina, you don’t know what you are missing!  It is one of those little-known miraculous towns that you find hiding all over the south.  There are some pretty wonderful places to stay in Greenville, all within walking distance of relaxing and entertaining things to do.  My first choice of a place to stay would be The Pettigru Place Bed and Breakfast at 302 Pettigru Street.  This historic place is lovely, well managed and known for their delicious gourmet breakfast.  It is a charming house with lovely English style gardens and five luxurious rooms.  This B And B is only a short walk from Main Street, where there are quaint little shops and over 60 unique restaurants and coffee shops to try.  You won’t want to spend all of your time shopping and dining though, there are also many local art venues, museums and galleries.  You are very close to the campuses of Furman, Bob Jones University and Clemson and they always have many entertaining events, especially during football season. 

My favorite place in Greenville is Falls Park.  You can walk there from Pettigru Place.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen a better designed city park.  You enter through a lovely fountain entrance, and you soon cross the beautifully designed Liberty suspension bridge.  From that vantage point, as well as many others in this park, you can view the river and take in the views of two gorgeous waterfalls.  There are luscious trails everywhere, loaded with beautiful foliage and flowers, statues and uniquely designed cozy little nooks.  Be sure to take in the amazing old tree with the deep, deep roots that you can actually see.  The tree has  obviously been growing here for a long time.  The roots of this tree will make you quote poetry!  

Take your camera with you; there are many photo ops in this park.  Spend some time getting your exercise winding through the quaint sidewalks with little cafes and shops here and there  and stop occasionally to enjoy the many places to rest and relax in nature.   Every turn has an unexpected surprise. You will be going under, over and around so many interesting cozy little areas.   

As I mentioned earlier, there is a nicely designed outdoor theatre, and if you are lucky you might catch people gathered to listen to music, or poetry or storytelling.   I could go on and on, but you must just go there and see for yourself – plan to spend at least four hours just in the park.  It is a great place for a picnic. 

If you are able to pull yourself away from the park, walk toward Main Street and gander through the great shops.  Be sure to hit The Mast General Store, with its old fashioned candy jars and wooden floors.  Wander through the cobblestone alley ways and see what you can spot!  There are a few very nice “retro” second-hand stores that are full of amazing treasures and finds.  There are several cute boutiques, and some of my favs were The Good Earth, and Imagine Boutique.  You can shop for hours in this part of town.

Stop and have lunch here too.  Almost every restaurant is special in its own way.  I highly recommend Sassafras Southern Bistro, Smoke On The Water, The Chicora Alley, and The Brick Street Café.  Sassafras is a great place, more formal during the week, but they serve a nice brunch buffet after church on Sundays.  Smoke on The Water is very tasty and you can eat outside if you want to as you feel the flavor of this interesting town while you wait for your delicious meal.  If you go to Chicora’s, the food is Caribbean style.  I love to order Mom’s Mexican Salad, and if you go to the Brick Street Café, make sure you get some peanut-butter and chocolate cake for dessert. 

After shopping and lunch you might want to take in one of the many art museums.  I loved The Art Bomb.  It is a unique, upbeat and personal gallery in the older section of Greenville.  The local artists that work there actually live in the area and are bringing it alive again.  The people you meet there are very informative and interesting and this place houses the studios of wonderful artist! Be sure to wonder through the sweet little secret garden at the back of the museum.    There is another little gallery right next to an underground coffee shop in the main section of town that is also interesting which features many local artists.  Just walking down the street is an artsy experience in itself.  There are musicians and statues and painted walls and sidewalk art everywhere. 

Right in the heart of downtown Greenville lives the Heritage Green.  This is an urban arts and cultural campus.  It is located on College Street, just past Academy Street, just three blocks from The Hyatt Regency Hotel.  If it is a rainy day, you might want to step into the Greenville County Library where you could get lost in all the wonderful books, DVD’s, music and CDs as well as use their free online resources.  There is a play center for preschoolers, and a café and a used book shop.  You can also explore the largest local history and genealogy collection among public libraries of the South. 

Another feature of The Heritage Green is The Greenville County Museum of Art.  This is a wonderful museum that will take you a few hours to tour.  It is full of American Art and has a lot of the works of Andrew Wyeth and Jasper Johns. 

The Heritage Green area also hosts The Greenville Little Theatre.  If you are looking for rich, evocatively staged and costumed classical theatre that includes drama, comedy and musicals, this is it.  They stage at least six shows a year from Shakespeare to Wilde to Cole Porter. 

Don’t miss another area found in The Heritage Green; The Bob Jones Museum and Gallery.  It features a select portion of more than 400 Old Master paintings and hundreds of pieces of furniture and decorative arts are regularly on display. 

It matters not whether you are a real-child or a grown-up child, Greenville’s Heritage Green section of town has a wonderful Children’s Museum that is entertaining for all members of the family.  It is one of the largest children’s museums in The United States. 

If you love history, you will love the Upcountry History Museum in this same area.  It is all about the history of Upcountry South Carolina.  There is a great practice of the oral history lesson here.  Storytellers in costume abound and fascinate you.  Historical programs are presented here throughout the year.

You will want to get back to your room to rest up a bit before the evening's events begin.  Maybe dress a little more formal for the night life here, but you don’t have to.  This is a casual, very family oriented place, but if you feel like dressing up – that is great too!  When I say  “family” that includes those four footed friends.  The streets of Greenville are a wonderful place to walk your dog while you are window shopping, so get that in before you take your rest and clean up for dinner.

Ah, dinner!  What a wonderful choice of gourmet restaurants all in one little town.  I’ll only mention three of my favorite more elegant places to dine at night, and I’ll let you discover the rest. First on my list is:  High Cotton.  Be sure you go at night and get a window seat to enjoy the scenic view of the lights of the city and the river at night.  High Cotton features fine Southern Cuisine.  My next choice would be Devereaux’s.   It is located in a restored historical building and has a great atmosphere with excellent food.  Trio – A Brick Oven Café is also a good choice. with its wood burning ovens and gas lanterns.  If you are just looking for a good place to have a drink, try The Park Avenue Pub. Two other favorite restaurants are The Bohemian Cafe for an upbeat "friendly neighborhood" experience "where the world meets at the end of your street;" and Fonda Rosalinda's, where fresh authentic Mexican food is served in an elegant home-style manner. 

For great evening entertainment, always check to see what is happening at The Peace Center, it is one of the best designed performing arts centers I’ve ever seen.  It has been called “an acoustic jewel” by many musicians.  It is located right in the Main Street area, and is breathtakingly beautiful at night, where you can see the city lights twinkling across the river from the glass fronted rooms.  This is a place full of masters.  Tony Bennett has played “Fly Me To The Moon” on this very stage. The style of entertainment here could be anywhere from classical to country to jazz to blues to Broadway to pop.  Entertainers and event schedules are listed under The Peace Center’s web site.  There is a huge variety of shows and performances presented in Greenville in the way of the performing arts.  The local theater group called Centre Stage, presents Broadway and Off Broadway plays, dramas and musicals. The Greenville Little Theatre, previously mentioned is another local community theater group.  If you love the symphony, you must hear the Greenville Symphony Orchestra.  There is also a wonderful selection of events from The Carolina Ballet Theatre, if you are partial to ballet.  The arts are all alive here!  You will not be disappointed.  You might want to visit the Warehouse Theatre, or go to Café and Then Some for a fun and entertaining dinner/theater experience. 

Are you tired after all this fun in just one day?  You will be comfy and pampered back in your room at The Pettigru Place.  I hope you caught their wine and cheese serving this afternoon.  If you need a midnight snack there are drinks in the old fashioned ice box, and the endless cookie jar is never empty.

If you have the budget for it, you might want to stay in a different location each day of your visit, just because there are so many good selections.  Sounds like a lot of packing and unpacking, but you might enjoy the experience offered from staying closer to The Peace Center too.  The Westin Poinset is a very luxurious and historic hotel.  It has all the Southern hospitality and signature comforts you could ask for in the perfect Main Street location.  The Westin Poinset is the only four-diamond hotel in Greenville.  It was constructed by W. L. Stoddard in 1925 and has a 1920’s elegance and charm about it.  There is a romantic piano bar and a work-out room.  The Westin is known for having “heavenly” beds.  The Spoonbread Restaurant offers American Cuisine and a great breakfast buffet. 

Also a good choice is The Marriott Courtyard in Downtown Greenville with its contemporary décor and modern architecture.  You can enjoy winter ice skating in the new rink here and there are bicycle rentals available year round.  Rick Erwin’s Seafood Nantucket Restaurant is located in this hotel and offers great food.   This hotel sponsors Greenville’s Signature Experiences Tours.  They have some amazing things to tell you about planning a long vacation in Greenville, and they know exactly what is happening when.  Well worth checking into, just for the package options available and the not so common suggestions. 

These hotels might be a little pricey, but think of the free experiences offered in this area.  Almost everything is free once you get here, except for meals and performances and a place to stay.  It just might budget out for you.  For example Falls Park is free, on Wednesday nights you can take in a free movie experience from Fidelity Investment’s Moonlight Movies.  Classic movies are shown in Falls Park under the stars.  It is perfectly fine to bring your lawn chair, blanket and a cooler.  At intermission lay back on your blanket and take in the show of the stars from the night sky.  Both events are absolutely free.  The window shopping is free.  The hiking trails and waterfalls are free.  The open markets and festivals are free.  Music on the streets is free. 

If you really enjoy this place, and who wouldn’t, you might want to plan to come back in October for the St. Francis Fall For Greenville event.  It is a world of tempting tastes, sights and sounds and aromas from one end of Main Street to the other. This is only one of many planned events held during the year. 

So what is another good place to stay?  Keep to the downtown Greenville area and enjoy The Hyatt Plaza for a night or two, it is a beautiful place right in the center of the city.  The really great thing about this, among many other wonderful things, is that you can walk right outside the door to experience the BB And T Main Street events.  These are the weekly music series on Main Street that continue for 28 weeks from March to September featuring jazz, blues, oldies, and soul music.  There are little tables right outside The Hyatt in front of a courtyard with a beautiful fountain where you can enjoy the concerts as well as your morning coffee and paper. 

There are always colorful sights and enchanting smells at the TD Saturday Market.   You will find the freshest farm produce, baked goods, meats, cheeses, seafood and other specialties.  They are all locally grown.  Have a gourmet cup of coffee; enjoy the live music and interactive events.  Learn about lifestyle tips at “It’s More Than A Market” which features a weekly educational chef demonstration. 

Tired of walking?  Take the trolley.  Downtown it is free, compliments of The Greenville Drive.  The city operates and maintains two trolleys.  They are a lot of fun to ride and very convenient.   

September is the beginning of the apple picking season in this part of the country.  Come enjoy the whole experience. Great orchards abound and are happy to see you.  Visit the famous ball park and see a great game, maybe you will even see the ghost of “Shoeless” Joe Jackson.  Go to the Greenville Zoo.  Experience the Chautauqua Festival that is a journey back in time where you can hear the story of the Civil War as told by those who were there.  History is alive here; how many times can I say that?  There are more than 500 historic sites marked and ready to be explored.  Visit Lake Conestee and have a natural outdoor experience.  Take a tour of waterfalls in the area, there are many! 

Follow The Swamp Rabbit’s Trail to Travelers Rest.  There are a million other trails too.
The Highlands are only a few hours away, but now that is another story.  Charleston is not too far away either, neither is Myrtle Beach.  You won’t want to leave Greenville though, save those destinations for another day.  There is enough to do here without all the driving.  Rest, play, relax, enjoy!

I think you get the idea, I’ve only given you the tip of the iceberg – you must go to Greenville, South Carolina and check out this wonder of the South.  Happy journey!

AN APPLE A DAY - SHARING YOUR CONVICTIONS WITH OTHERS

DAY 113 OF 365 DAYS TO A HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE

 THE JOY OF SHARING YOUR CONVICTIONS WITH OTHERS

(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

Have you discovered the healing quality of sharing yet?  Try it; you will love it!  Sharing is the gift that always comes back to you.  Share something that you are passionate about that is beneficial to others and the odd thing that happens is the sharing actually gives you a sense of wholeness and usefulness. That has to be healing in many ways. Yet another way to improve our lives and keep them healthy is to share what we have learned with those that we know and love.  

Does that sound hard to you? 

It all really depends on how you go about it. 

It isn't easy if you just blurt out all you know and walk off to let someone try to digest what you just said to them. That might leave people shaking their heads and wondering how sane you are!  Still, there are more appropriate ways which are pleasant and fun to make this happen. You just have to think about how you want to share and add a little creativity.

There are so many ways to share the good news that your body is the temple of God and the fact that we should enjoy the knowledge of keeping our temples holy and honorable for the glory of God.  

I have chosen to blog my comments and ideas and discoveries.  That is my choice of a way to share.  All of us are different.  You may choose a different form of art to share with the world.  You could use painting or drawing or singing about the things that you have discovered in relation to health and nutrition.  It isn't that difficult, and it is actually a lot of fun.  People who would never listen to a "sermon" or participate in a "discussion" or even a "conversation" about health will be glad to discover the hidden meaning behind a painting or a sketch, a dance, or a photograph, or a song, or a story, or a play.

One form of story that I have come to really appreciate and enjoy is the use of drama to make a point.  I've explored this avenue of the written word and the art of drama with a wonderful missions minded group of people called Christ To The World.  They provide and act out scripts that preach the gospel both in church gatherings and on radio around the world.   They use the art of drama as a mission tool and they help others learn to do the same.

Christ To The World’s main focus is evangelical; to bring people to the saving knowledge of Christ.  Sometimes though, people that are interested in a subject (take "health" for example)  come into the knowledge of God through what I call "the back door."   In other words, they gain knowledge about God as they explore the things in life that interest them.  

A person interested in good nutrition could naturally come to realize how awesome it is that God made foods a certain way and for certain purposes.  They would sooner or later come around to the fact that our bodies were meant to be nourished because they were made to give glory to God.  It is a wonderful way to discover God through everyday life.  That is what Christ To the World has done with many of their mini-dramas, and I have had the pleasure of writing some of them.

So if you are interested in sharing some of the things you have learned about health with others, one good way would be to use scripts on your subject and have a group act out the script for an audience.   Maybe that audience could be a club, a youth group, a bible study group, a church home group, a family gathering, a school group, or any group of people that would benefit from learning about God's way of eating and living a healthy life. You could write your own script and cover whatever subject is on your heart, or you could use scripts that are already written and published elsewhere.  

Just to get you started, I've included one of the scripts I wrote for Christ To the World (I have their permission to share it) that relates to this blog and the subject of nutrition. Feel free to use it with your group if you like.

If the script turns out to be successful for you in sharing the gospel and good nutrition; please remember to thank Christ To The World by sending them whatever donation you can afford to give, and keeping their work in your daily prayers.  You can mail any donations to Christ To The World at CTTW Ministries, P.O. Box 360, Judson, TX 75660-9989. They would love to hear of how you have used the script!

What a good way to share your health convictions without preaching a sermon or forcing your friends to follow you around to pick up your new habits! Drama really is a wonderful outlet and a great tool for sharing with the world.   

So here is a sample script for starters! I hope you enjoy reading it and using it, and I hope you will find it very helpful!

5 MINUTES WITH GOD

DRAMA

Theme:  Does God desire for us to be healthy and physically fit?

Description:  When we open the scriptures to read God’s Holy Word and we come to 1 Corinthians 6:19,  we are asked a question; and then given a very interesting fact;    “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of The Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?  You are not your own.” 

If we belong to God and our bodies are not our own (but they are houses for God’s Holy Spirit) how then should we be treating our physical bodies?  Our story today will deal with part of the answer to this question which is often asked by those seeking to further understand God’s will for their daily lives. 

Purpose:

(1)  To emphasize that God has given us good instructions in the bible for living a healthy life.

(2)  To encourage people to realize and respect the fact that God’s people’s bodies have become His modern-day temple.

(3)  To help others to see the practical benefits of following God’s dietary laws.

CHRIST TO THE WORLD MINISTRIES

Writer: Sheila Gail Landgraf                             Christ to the World Ministries

Editor:  Dr. Art Criscoe                                      Copyright © 2015

DIRECTORIAL INFORMATION

CAST OF CHARACTERS: (note voice quality required)

·        Each voice should be recognizably different than any other character.

          HOST:                                    Voice of a mature man.

          MOTHER:                     Voice of a thirty two year old woman.

          WILLIAM:                             Voice of a ten year old boy

         

Notes to translators:

·        Use names that are culturally appropriate.

·        When Scripture is used, the print is in italics, and it is the NIV (1984). Scripture references are given to aid the translators and should not be read as part of the script.

Director’s notes to readers:

·        These are audio dramas. The actions and emotions are in the words. Remember that the listener will only hear these words once. Speak distinctly with appropriate emotion. Carefully observe all punctuation (i.e., pause at commas, stop at periods, intensify at exclamation points, and give special emphasis to words in bold type.)

5 MINUTES WITH GOD

HEALTH AND FITNESS

(Music: Theme Music gradually fades to underscoring as host begins to speak.)

HOST: Welcome to 5 Minutes with God, brought to you by Christ to the World Ministries.

Long before Jesus came to walk this earth within a physical body just like ours; God was already teaching His people about the very best ways to live.  On one of the annual festival days that has now come to be called Pentecost; God descended upon the mountain and spoke with Moses face-to-face about things relating to this very subject.

Moses and God spoke for many days up on the mountain.  After God gave Moses the Ten Commandments; He also gave Moses further instructions to use for educating the people in the very best ways to live.  Part of those instructions became known as the dietary laws.  They are written down in the book of the Holy Scriptures we call Leviticus.  God’s people passed these instructions down from generation to generation and everyone who kept them faithfully honored God. 

It seems that these same dietary laws are also very important today; at least to the typical modern housewife and mother we meet in today’s story.  She has been faithfully honoring God by teaching all of God’s stories to her son.  Hopefully, he will grow up to pass them on to his children.  So let’s start this story out right:

Once upon a time there lived a ten year old boy named William who detested eating carrots; or any other vegetable for that matter.

MOTHER:  William you can’t leave the table until you finish eating your vegetables!  

WILLIAM:  Awwww Mom!  I hate vegetables, especially carrots!  There is just nothing good about carrots, and I don’t see why I have to always be eating them.

MOTHER:  Carrots help your eyes to see.  Well, that is funny!  Obviously you are not seeing EVERYTHING there is to see here.  I suppose you have never heard about what happened to Daniel?  If you had; you would not be making such a silly statement.

WILLIAM:  Daniel?  Who is Daniel?

MOTHER:  Daniel was a young man living in Jerusalem who got captured by The King of Babylon.  He was forced to grow up inside a prison far from his home and separated from his parents. He was one of many of God’s people brought over from Jerusalem and held captive in that far away land.

WILLIAM:  Oh, that must have been terrible for him!

MOTHER:  Well, it didn’t STAY terrible.  God was looking after Daniel.  The king decided to make use of the young captives for service in his royal courts. He appointed one of his top officials to pick out the best, most intelligent and most handsome young Hebrew captives and groom them for service in the palace.  Those who got picked were able to leave the prison, go to school under some of the top educators in the land.  They were also taught to speak the language of Babylon.  When they were well trained and ready, the King intended to pick the best-of-the-best for service in his royal palace. 

Life in the palace would have been highly preferred over life in prison.  Those men chosen would even get to eat from the King’s table every day.  They would have all that they wanted, and have it any time that they desired to eat.  The palace was always full of trays and trays of tasty goodies to nibble on in between meals; and three times a day a major feast was served with rich foods and lots of wine and many sugary flavored specially concocted drinks.  There were lots and lots of sweet decadent desserts at the end of every course. 

WILLIAM:  Alright!  Now that is what should be happening to me!  I would never eat vegetables again!  Every meal would be chocolate cake and ice cream. 

MOTHER:  Well, not Daniel!  He had been raised on God’s dietary laws for young Hebrews.  He did not wish to eat in that way!

WILLIAM:  Mom, I’ve never heard of God’s dietary laws.  I didn’t know God gave laws about what we should eat and drink.  Did God choose ice cream and cake too?

MOTHER: (Laughing)  No!  He chose all the things that I’m always teaching you to eat; like broccoli, celery, spinach, asparagus, beans, avocados, all kinds of lettuce and cabbage, almost everything green and then some squash, onions, garlic, tomatoes and many spices and lots and lots of carrots!  He recommends that we drink mostly clean pure water and lots of it.   There was no mention of chocolate cake and ice cream in the Hebrew’s diet plan, nor were there any cokes or soft-drinks allowed, especially not diet cokes, nor any of the other sweet sugary drinks you sometimes ask for.

WILLIAM:  Mom, I think you are just making this up to get me to eat my carrots…..aren’t you?

MOTHER:  Absolutely not William!  I would not do that.  What I am telling you about Daniel and the way God requested that the Hebrew people eat is absolutely true.  I promise.  It all really happened a long, long time ago.  Now, eat some of those carrots!

WILLIAM:  Okay, but I’ll bet Daniel didn’t eat carrots!

MOTHER:  Well if you listen to the rest of the story you will find out that Daniel requested just fruit, vegetables (which would include carrots) and water for his diet.  He did not want to eat all the other junk that was being served at the King’s table which the others were quickly gobbling down. 

WILLIAM:  Really?  How dumb!  Daniel must have been crazy.

MOTHER:  Actually, Daniel was very, very smart, William.  You could say he was one of the smartest men that ever lived.  When the King’s official picked Daniel and several of his closest Hebrew buddies to go to school and learn how to run the palace; the thing that the official noticed about Daniel that stood out above the others was how very smart he was, and how eager to learn he was.  The official just could not understand why he kept insisting on eating only fruits and vegetables and drinking only water; but everything else about Daniel seemed to be exceptional. The King’s Official favored Daniel because he liked him so much; and he found himself listening to what Daniel had to say.  After awhile the official tried to reason with Daniel. 

The King’s Official told Daniel, if he did not learn to eat the food from the pagan king’s table, he would never grow to be strong and healthy like the other men who had been chosen.  Daniel strongly disagreed with him, but instead of arguing with the king’s official, Daniel decided to persuade him another way.  Daniel convinced him to run a test.

WILLIAM:  A test?

MOTHER:  Yes.  Daniel asked the official to allow him and some of his friends to eat only fruit and vegetables and drink only water for the next ten days.  Then he asked the official to compare their health to the health of the others who were eating and drinking as the King and his court. 

WILLIAM:  Wow, I guess Daniel WAS pretty smart.  He figured out how to get his way when it didn’t seem to be possible; but I still don’t understand why he insisted on eating only fruits and vegetables and drinking only water.  Did God really tell the people to eat this way?

MOTHER:  William, God really gave His people dietary laws.  God wasn’t just trying to rule over them with a bunch of unnecessary rules; He was just loving them, the same as any good Father would do, by teaching them the best ways to live.  You know; all of the ten commandments actually do affect your health in some direct or indirect way; and there were many other instructions that God gave to Moses on that mountain which pertain to how we should be eating for good health. 

Someone; probably Daniel’s dear old Mother, had taught and trained Daniel well!  By keeping God’s dietary rules, Daniel was also honoring that commandment to honor his father and mother.  He was remembering the things that they had taught him about living God’s way, even though they were not physically there to remind him and to reinforce that he follow God’s ways.  Keeping all of these things in mind, Daniel was very wise to resist the temptations to eat the pagan king’s delicacies. 

WILLIAM: Mom, I want to know how the end of the story turned out.  What finally happened with Daniel?

MOTHER:  Well, the king’s official agreed to let Daniel and his friends perform the test.  All of the other men were fed from the King’s table and Daniel and his friends were given only fresh vegetables and fruit with pure clean water.  That was all they ate or drank for 10 days.  For Daniel and his friends it was just a healthy and normal way to live, but for us living in the modern world today, eating that way would amount to a complete body detox.  That is because in our modern day diets we eat so many things that are unhealthy and loaded with chemicals and sugar and unnatural food products.  Nothing is served simply the way God made it.  So, when we eat the way that Daniel and his friends did; our bodies get cleansed of all these unnatural toxins and our cells get renewed and become healthier, especially if we follow this plan for up to 10 days at a time.  William, you probably won’t hear about any of this on the local news or even read about it if you look up “diets” on the internet.  It isn’t any more popular today than it was in the days of Daniel.  Still, this is a plan that comes directly from God, one that His faithful people had learned to use to their benefit for good nutrition and health for a long time. 

WILLIAM:  So; I guess the test worked in Daniel’s favor?

MOTHER:  Oh, yes William!  Any time you do what God has recommended instead of following the crowd, it usually works in your favor!  Remember that!  At the end of the testing, the official of the king was shocked to learn that Daniel and his friends were a whole lot healthier and stronger than all of the other men who had been eating from the pagan king’s table. 

By eating from GOD’S TABLE of natural foods, Daniel and his friends had managed to keep their bodies healthier.  They had many more nutrients in their systems that were busy replenishing their cells every day.  By not snacking on the sugary sweets they had kept harmful chemicals out of their bodies, and they had remained disease free.  By limiting their food intake to three meals a day of only fruits, vegetables and pure water, they had improved the health of their bones and muscles much more than the men who had been eating the other food.  Those men had become chubby and lazy while Daniel and his friends had maintained high energy levels and stronger muscles with greater strength and they had a better mental attitude to boot. 

It was finally decided that Daniel and his friends could continue their food preferences throughout the rest of the program.  When it was all over; Daniel and his friends excelled far above all the other men.  The time came for the King to inspect all the men and chose who would get the top positions in the royal palace. Daniel and his three friends were picked first and given the top positions!  You know William; I tend to think it was ALL because their parents had listened to God and taught them how to eat for good health!  Now; eat your carrots!

WILLIAM:  (Laughing)  Okay Mom, okay.  I think I want a little more spinach too.  I’m going to give this “Daniel thing” a try!  I’ll make my own test.

MOTHER:  Would you mind if we prayed about that right now?

WILLIAM:  I think that might be the best way to start this test!

MOTHER:  Dear God, please guide William as he learns your best ways to live.  Teach him, as you taught Daniel; just what it takes to live a good, long, wise and godly life.  I thank You God for the blessing of my precious son!  Amen.

HOST:  William’s Mom smiled and dipped more spinach onto his plate.  It was the last time she ever had to remind him to eat his carrots.   William read that story about Daniel as well as the many other stories about Daniel that were written down in his bible.  He also read about God’s dietary laws for the Hebrew people and eventually he incorporated them into his own daily life.  

William grew into a fine young man and went on to serve, not in a palace, but in an important high government office.   Like Daniel, he developed great and wonderful friends from all parts of the world.  He loved each of them, listened to their stories and shared their ideas.  He was picked to be one of the land’s highest officials because of his great wisdom.  William lived a very long and healthy life because he continued to maintain good health by paying attention to God’s dietary laws.  

COME AS A CHILD LESSON 134 A TIME OF THIRST, TESTING AND QUARRELS

A TIME OF THIRST, TESTING AND QUARRELS

(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

Exodus Chapter 17 only contains sixteen verses; but those few verses say so much!  

The first thought is the fact that the people of Israel had been traveling through the Wilderness of Sin and keeping the LORD’s commandments as they had promised.  All was well for a little while, then they came to Rephidim.  Once again they found themselves in a place with no water.  How quickly we forget our high and lofty spiritual thoughts and ambitions when our flesh suffers. 

As they became more and more thirsty, they forgot the ways of God and they forgot about all that had happened to them in Marah.  They had no drinkable water there either; but God had provided.  They did not chose to remember this and hold on to the hope of God providing again. 

The only thing the people remembered was how to complain to Moses!  They griped and complained on and on to Moses; saying that he had brought them out to the wilderness in order that they might die.  Moses reminded them that it was God that had brought them there, and asked why they were not calling out to God instead of complaining against him.  The people did not seem to be listening though, and Moses all alone once again had to be the one to cry out to God. 

Poor Moses.  As I read about this I wanted to play him that song called “Alone Again Naturally!”  I’m thinking of the lyrics that Gilbert O’Sullivan wrote and sang back in 1972.  They so fit the mood that Moses could have taken!  The lyrics of the first verse started out like this:

"In a little while from now if I’m not feeling any less sour, I promise myself to treat myself and visit a nearby tower, and climbing to the top will throw myself off in an effort to make it clear to whoever wants to know what it’s like when you’re shattered." (Gilbert O'Sullivan - 1972)

In the case of the song lyrics, a bride had left a groom at the altar.  That is sort of the same as here in our story.  The Bride of God (Israel) had totally forgotten the might and power of her groom.  She had turned her back to Him.  In her thirst and discomfort she forgot all about the wedding day she had dreamed of and delighted in at Elim.  

It happens all the time, not just in the days of Moses.  People in The Church of God today (those who have been saved and have God's spirit dwelling in them) often forget how to call on the Name of The LORD, especially if they are feeling discomfort or displeasure at the moment.  So they do not receive the blessings that God has in store for them.  They do not get the water from the rock!   Instead, they act like the Israelites who criticized Moses and they grumble and complain against their leaders.  Not every leader will be as humble as Moses in this story.

Why do the people always depend on their leaders to be the one to cry out to God?  We all have the power of God living within us.  We can cry out to God ourselves!  He is always listening to His people.  He is waiting right now; have you cried out?  The leaders of America have failed us completely; but that is no excuse for the people not to be crying out to God every day!  

Have you been crying out?  

Are you waiting on some magical moment when everything is perfect?  I hate to tell you; but you will never see that moment this side of heaven.  Our only hope is to look to God for our provision and live in expectation that He will save us; even if our leaders completely fail.

But that is how the story usually goes; the people forget to call upon God for help, and it was not any different in the day of Moses.  Moses, being the humble leader that he was, cried out to God and stated that the people were so put out with him that they wanted to stone him!  It was as if Moses were saying “Okay God, whether or not the people realize the facts, this whole thing was your idea; so please come on and help me out here!”

God heard Moses and told him exactly what to do.  He suggested that Moses gather up some elders from the people and grab the staff that he used to get them out of Egypt; that same staff that he used to part the Red Sea.  God instructed Moses to go stand before the people with the elders and the staff.  Then God said:  “Behold I shall stand there before you on the rock in Horeb and you shall strike the rock and water will come out of it, and the people will drink.”

So this is what Moses did before the eyes of Israel and all of the elders.  He took the staff and struck the rock and water flowed from the rock.  The thirsty people drank until they were satisfied.  The grumbling and complaining stopped for a moment as the people began to feel refreshed and Moses felt briefly relieved of the anxiety that comes from caring for thousands and thousands of people constantly.

As they were there drinking the pure healing waters from the rock; Moses named the place two names;  Massah (which means “testing”) and Meribah (which means “quarreling”) because of the quarrel of the children of Israel and because of their testing the LORD in that place.  Moses had stood right there and asked them the most relevant question of the day: “Is the LORD in our midst or not?”

The people had failed miserably by putting all their trust and faith in a man named Moses instead of God; but Moses had passed the test for good leadership; he humbly realized he had no power on his own and he called on the name of the God who had all power.  Many men would have let such false power and trust go to their heads and they would have relied on their own judgments and actions.  This time Moses passed the test.  He stayed humble.  He realized his own limitations.  Could he continue to do this as he kept leading these fickle people through the wilderness?

This incident is very similar to another incident that we will study later.  This was the FIRST time that God commanded Moses to bring water to the people from a rock.  The lack of water always seemed to be a test of faith.  It happened several times in the beginning of the time of the exodus.  Later in the study of the book of Numbers, reading about the times after the people of Israel have been wondering in the wilderness for a much longer time; we will hear of the SECOND time water came from a rock.  

The people of Israel were in two different places at two different times in history when the water came from the rock in the wilderness.  

It is important though to notice how Moses handled this FIRST time that the miracle happened.  This is so that when you get to the study of the SECOND time you will see the difference in Moses’ actions and attitude.  The first time Moses called on God, trusted in Him completely and humbly, listened and carefully followed God's instructions.  He pointed out to the people that all power and might and provision came from God alone.  This first time God was pleased with the actions of Moses.

The rock clearly represents Christ each time.  Jesus told us during the time He walked this earth that whoever is thirsty should come to Him!  John 7:38 - 39 speaks of Jesus as he talks on the last day of Sukkot (The Feast of Tabernacles), instructing the people; "On the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood up and called out in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.  To the one who believes in Me, it is just as the Scripture has said:  'Streams of living water' will flow from within him.  He was speaking about the Spirit, whom those who believe in Him were later to receive.  For the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet been glorified.  

Do you think the people listened to Jesus as He called out to them that day? Did Jesus experience the same frustration with the fickleness of the crowd as Moses?   Do you think that people are listening now?  How long and how much will it take?  Listening to God is very important.  He doesn't waste words.  Details matter.  

This FIRST time Moses was listening carefully to God and following his exact directions.  He did exactly what God said and his actions were humble and cautious.  He clearly realized all power comes from God.  When Moses struck the rock (as instructed by God the FIRST time this happened) provision for life was given to the people.  It was a great miracle!   There was a greater miracle though; the one this action shadows; that of God giving His Son, Jesus Christ, as a sacrifice for our sins.  This latter miracle is the greatest miracle of all.  

In both incidences; very undeserving people received refreshment and life in abundance.  At both times death was overcome by the power of God, and in this time we speak of today; Moses passed the test and the people failed the test, yet they were given mercy.  They had plentiful water from the rock.

What stands out to me is the fact that God was testing everyone; both the people and the leaders.  They had to endure thirst for a long time.  They needed to turn to God and ask Him for provision.  God was testing them to see if they knew from whence their life came.  God wanted them to always recognize Who He was among them.  He was the source of their strength and their provision, and they needed to learn to call upon Him when times of troubles came.  They needed to turn to Him in ALL times, both good and bad, and be grateful for His awesome provision and presence in their lives.  It is the same for all of us living in this modern world.

At some point, we all come to Meribah.  We all have those long, dry spells when it may feel like God has left us for awhile.  We forget to listen carefully.  We forget how He has already instructed us.  We have to become thirsty for Him and we have to call upon Him and ask Him to provide the nourishment that our souls desire.  In these times we cannot depend on our leaders; leaders often fail; they are all human, just as we are.  We must humble ourselves before God and call upon His name in such times.  He will lead us to that Rock that is faithful and true.  Jesus Christ will take our petitions before God, if we just trust Him with the task.  We must go to The Rock of Our Salvation.  He will heal those long, dry times of our spirits.   He will give us living water to drink!

We can see this in another story about a Samaritan woman who came to the well of Jacob seeking water.  Jesus spoke to her about many things, but one statement found is John 4:13 says:  "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst.  Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life."  

The Samaritan Woman was living in a whole different type of wilderness.  Jesus relieved her thirst by giving her living water!  

If the wilderness of life begins to overtake you; stay calm and call upon the LORD.  He is that pillar of cloud and that pillar of fire that hovers over us; just waiting on us to call out to Him.  He will not lead us in the wrong direction.  

Put your trust in the Rock of Christ and life, even in the wilderness, will always be abundant and blessed.

Come drink from the fountain that never runs dry; receive the living waters from the Everlasting Rock; Jesus Christ, and be satisfied and live forever.