Bible Reading: Psalms 95:1-7; 98:1-9

Sam stood silently next to Grandpa and his parents at church. Mom and Dad sang their hearts out. Grandpa tapped his cane to the beat as he sang. But Sam didn't think he had a good voice, so he didn't sing.

The next morning Grandpa came over for coffee. While Mom cleaned up breakfast, Sam worked on his homeschool nature study guide. He pointed at a picture of a groundhog peeking out of its burrow. "We have one of these in our yard."

"I know," said Grandpa. "I saw it waddling around this morning."

Sam looked at his book. "Did you know groundhogs dig holes over twenty feet long? They're also called woodchucks, and their babies are chucklings."

Grandpa grinned. "That makes me want to chuckle."

Sam continued, "They come out of hibernation before the snow melts, but they can't always predict the end of winter on Groundhog Day like everyone always claims. And listen to this! 'They are fond of singing.' Wouldn't our singing scare them off?"

Grandpa stood and motioned for Sam to follow. Outside, Grandpa started singing. A moment later, the groundhog appeared and rose to its hind legs. Grandpa nudged Sam, who cleared his throat and sang along. The groundhog relaxed and began to snuffle in the grass.

When they were back inside, Sam said, "It really liked our singing!"

"Do you know who else likes your singing?" Grandpa asked.

"Probably not the neighbors," Sam answered.

"Think about church yesterday," Grandpa suggested.

"You mean God?"

Grandpa nodded. "God tells us to sing His praises because we love Him and want to thank Him for all He's done for us, like creating us and sending His Son to save us."

Sam looked at Grandpa. "If Jesus could die on the cross to rescue me, I can at least sing a few songs."

"When you sing to God, you're showing the love and joy He has put in your heart," said Grandpa. "No matter what your singing sounds like, He loves it when we sing His praises out of gratitude for who He is and what He's done for us."

Sam grinned. "If God enjoys my singing even more than the groundhog did, then I'll sing for Him."

–Laura Roesler

Bible Reading: 1 Corinthians 2:9-16

Adelei skipped down the sidewalk toward her grandparents' house. It felt strange to be wearing glasses, but she was amazed that she could see things so much better--like individual leaves on the trees and even the letters on the stop sign at the far corner. Adelei laughed in delight. She hurried as she got closer to the house and saw Grandpa working in the yard.

A few minutes later, Grandpa led her into the house where Grandma was cooking. "We have one excited girl here," he said.

"Your glasses look great!" Grandma smiled and gave Adelei a hug. "I still remember when I got my first pair of glasses. They make a wonderful difference, don't they?"

"And I remember when I got my spiritual glasses," said Grandpa.

"Spiritual glasses?" Adelei had never heard of such a thing. "What are those?"

"Well," said Grandpa, "before I knew Jesus, the Bible seemed strange to me when I read it, and I couldn't understand what it was all about. But the Holy Spirit opened my spiritual eyes--sort of like how those glasses help your eyes. As I continued to read the Bible, He showed me that I needed Jesus to rescue me from sin, and I began to see--to understand--what God says in His Word and realize how it applied to my life."

"Spiritual glasses are even more important than regular glasses," said Grandma. "To understand the things of God is to have the best sight of all."

Grandpa looked at Adelei. "Are you going to leave those glasses on your dresser, or do you plan to wear them every day?"

Adelei laughed at the question. "Of course I'll wear them. What good would they do in my room?"

"Exactly," said Grandpa. "And we should make use of our spiritual glasses. The Holy Spirit is always with everyone who trusts in Jesus, giving us wisdom and insight. As we read the Bible and study it with other Christians at church, He helps us understand what it says so we can see Jesus and His love for all people more clearly."

"Your Grandpa has had that lesson in mind all day," Grandma said with a wink.

Adelei adjusted her glasses and smiled.

–Pauline Youd

Bible Reading: Matthew 6:19-21; 1 Peter 1:3-9

"Twelve paces from the grain bin, face the wall made of tin." Madison read the clue aloud as Sophie carried two garden trowels. Together the sisters headed for the grain bin to find Grandpa's next clue.

That morning, Grandpa had surprised the girls with a game--clues that would lead them to a treasure. He handed them the first clue after breakfast and the girls had been all around the farm, tracking down clues.

Finally, in a little wood, the last one was found. Time to dig! Eyes shining, Madison and Sophie shoveled fresh dirt aside and made guesses about what Grandpa might have hidden.

"Pirates' gold!" said Madison.

"Teddy bears!" said Sophie.

They unearthed a sturdy cardboard box. Madison pulled off the top to reveal another note, this one covered in crumbs. My dear girls, this cake was too delicious to bury. Please forgive me for eating it. Love, Grandpa.

Sophie tossed her trowel on the ground angrily, but Madison reassured her. "You know Grandpa. He didn't eat the cake, at least not all of it. He's only teasing."

Suddenly they heard Grandpa's voice calling them from the porch. Sophie took off running with Madison close behind. On the porch table, a feast was laid: chocolate cake, milk, and oranges. And Grandpa was there, chuckling at his own joke.

"I knew you would have treasure for us!" Madison said. "But Sophie was mad when she saw that empty box."

Grandpa got up and hugged Sophie close. "I was just teasing you," he said. "But I also wanted that box to be a picture for you, a way to see that the treasures of this life are never truly safe. Whatever we value here on earth can be destroyed or lost."

"Or eaten!" added Sophie.

Grandpa laughed. "Right. But because you trust in Jesus, your greatest treasure is no longer here on earth. It is kept safe in heaven by God Himself, and no one can take it away."

"What is it?" Sophie asked. "Rubies?"

"Something more precious than jewels. God keeps our salvation safe--the promise that our sins have been forgiven and we'll spend eternity with Him. You are His child, and no one can take you out of His hand."

–Lisa Nagel