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

Bible Reading: Psalm 51:1-10; Hebrews 9:22

Barrett threw his bag on top of the others in the trunk, then slammed the back door shut. "Ew, gross!" he said, looking at the dirt that covered his hands. "Hey, Dad, I think it's time to wash the car!"

Dad nodded. "It's pretty dirty. I didn't notice how bad it had gotten--until now, that is." He pointed at Barrett's little sister, Aurora, who was drawing smiley faces on the car's windows with her finger. "Well, at least our dirty car will bring a smile to other people on the road today." He grinned at Barrett. "Then you and Aurora can wash it when we get back."

When they got to the campsite, they set up their tent and had lunch. Barrett was looking forward to hiking some of the trails nearby when the sky suddenly grew dark and rain started pouring down. They all scrambled into the tent and zipped up the door.

Barrett sighed as he listened to the rain beat against the canvas sides of their tent. "Why did it have to rain today? We're not going to be able to do any of the stuff we had planned!"

"Well, we'll just have to make the best of it," said Dad.

A while later the rain stopped, and they ventured out of their tent. "My smiley faces are gone!" said Aurora, pointing to the car.

"So they are," said Dad. "I haven't seen the car that clean in a long time!" He winked at Barrett. "See, that's one good thing about the rain, right? Now you and Aurora won't have to wash it when you get home."

Barrett smiled. "I guess that makes up for being stuck in the tent for an hour."

Dad nodded. "It reminds me of a song I sang in church when I was little about Jesus's blood washing away sin. We lived on a dirt road when I was a kid, so our car was always dirty. But whenever it rained, all the dirt got washed away, and I'd think of that song and Jesus washing all my sins away when He died on the cross."

That night, when Barrett heard more rain pattering against the tent, he remembered that every one of his sins was washed away by Jesus.

–Carol Albrecht

Bible Reading: Revelation 21:1-4, 18-27

Just as Jaden was about to leave for school, he learned it had been canceled because of a furnace breakdown. "Why don't you come to work with me today," said Dad, who was a real estate agent. "I've got a couple house tours."

That morning, they met Mr. and Mrs. Pearson, who were moving from another town. "Since our boys couldn't come along to look at houses, it will be good to have you with us, Jaden," said Mrs. Pearson. "One of our sons is about your age."

Jaden didn't like the first house they toured. It was too big and fancy-looking for him. The second house seemed dark inside, and the rooms were small.

"Now this is my kind of house," Jaden said when they reached the third place. "That tree would be perfect for a treehouse!" The inside of the house was even better. "There are lots of hiding places in here," he said with shining eyes.

"I think you just made your first sale, Jaden," Mr. Pearson said after they looked around. "If you like this house, we're sure our boys will like it too."

On Sunday, Jaden pulled a piece of paper out of his Bible after church. "You're not going to believe this, Dad. We had to make a real estate ad for heaven in Sunday school today. Want to see what I wrote?"

"Sure do." Dad took the paper and read it aloud. "A mansion built just for you on a street of gold. No bedrooms, because there is no night. No hospitals nearby, because there is no sickness. The entire city is decorated with fabulous jewels. Cost: Nothing! It has already been paid for by Jesus and is a gift to anyone who trusts in Him. Best of all, Jesus is there!"

Dad smiled. "That's great! But don't forget that we advertise through our actions and attitude as well as our words. Just like Mr. and Mrs. Pearson saw how excited you were about that house, we can let others see the joy of having Jesus in our lives and the peace of knowing we will spend eternity with Him. And we can show them His love through our actions."

Jaden nodded. "Then hopefully they'll want to spend eternity in heaven with Him too."

–Linda Weddle

Bible Reading: 2 Timothy 4:16-18

Skye sat on her front porch step. The sun shone from a clear blue sky, but deep inside, Skye felt as if a dark cloud hovered overhead. She looked down at Rags, her new brown puppy. She picked him up and hugged him.

Just then Dad, who served in the military, got home. "What's wrong, pumpkin?" he asked as he sat down beside her. "You look as if you don't have one friend in the whole wide world."

"I--I just wonder what's going to happen," said Skye. "What if…" She hesitated. "Sometimes I almost wish you weren't in the Army. What if you get transferred overseas? I'd be so lonely if you were so far away."

"I understand how you feel--I'd be lonely then too," said Dad. "But remember how we prayed and talked about how God cares for us, no matter where we are?" Skye nodded, and Dad gave her a hug. "No matter where I might be sent, Jesus is with me, and He's with you and Mom and the rest of the kids too. He died and rose again to give us eternal life, and we can trust Him to be with us and take care of us, no matter what happens."

Skye sighed. "I know."

Dad looked at the little dog resting peacefully in Skye's lap. "Think about Rags for a minute," he said. "Do you remember how lonely he was the first few days you had him?"

Skye nodded. "He cried for his mother a lot, especially at night when there was nobody to pay attention to him." She buried her face in the puppy's furry neck.

"But you gave him so much love that he learned to depend on you, and he's happy to be with us now." Dad reached out to pet the little dog. "If you care so much for your puppy, don't you think the Lord cares even more for us?" Sighing, Skye nodded. "And just like Rags trusts you to take care of him, we can trust God to do the same for us," added Dad. "We may not always like everything that happens, but we can trust Jesus to be with us and give us the strength we need to carry on."

–Marilyn J. Senterfitt

Bible Reading: Romans 8:35-39

"I miss Buster!" wailed eight-year-old Xander when the family's loyal dog died. "He was a hero! Remember when Finn got lost and Buster found him playing in the woods? And the time I got really sick and Buster stayed in my room every day until I got better?" Xander wiped his eyes. "I wish he was still here with us."

"I wish we could have kept Buster longer too," Mom said sadly. "But he was very old, and his body just wore out. Let's try to be thankful for all the years we did have him."

"But--" Xander had just begun to ask another hard question when his four-year-old brother burst into the room.

"Vroooom!" shouted Finn as he zoomed in a circle and then stopped in front of Mom and Xander. He was wearing a yellow and blue shirt that had the name of his school on the front--except that where the school's emblem should have been, there was only a jumbled mass of colored threads.

Xander was not happy about the interruption. "Your shirt's inside out, Finn," he snapped.

"Yes, it is, but look closer, Xander," said Mom. "Maybe Finn's shirt can help answer your questions about Buster. These knots and loose threads here on the inside of the shirt are similar to how life's difficulties look to us. When someone we love dies, or when something bad happens, life can look like an ugly mess."

Mom helped Finn turn the shirt right side out so the school emblem was visible. "The same threads that looked so bad a moment ago make this side beautiful," she continued. "God does the same thing in our lives. None of the difficult things that happen can separate us from His love. Jesus came into our messy world and died and rose again to save us, and He promises to help us through each disappointment and hardship. He even uses them to form a beautiful design--He works them together for our good." She put an arm around Xander's shoulders. "When you miss Buster, remember that Jesus loves you and understands how you feel. Trust Him to be with you through the hard, painful things and use them for good."

–Joyce P. Jentes

Bible Reading: 1 John 2:3-6

"Look at how bright the stars are tonight!" Dawson's little brother, Parker, gaped at the sky from his spot on the lawn.

"Yeah, and the moon is really bright too," said Dawson.

"Why is it so bright?" asked Parker. "Is it a great big ball of fire?"

Dawson laughed and shook his head. "The sun is more like a ball of fire. The moon doesn't actually have any light at all. It reflects the light of the sun--that's why it looks bright. I learned about that in my science class."

"Come on in, boys!" called Mom. "It's time to get to bed."

The boys got up from the grass and headed for the house. Once they were inside, Parker ran over to the window and pointed to the moon. "Guess what, Mom! Dawson told me that the moon isn't really a big fireball--it just reflects the sun's light. Did you know that?"

Mom smiled. "Yes, I did know that. Now scoot along to bed, or morning will come before you're ready for it."

After church the following day, Dawson asked his parents a question that had been puzzling him. "My teacher says people are supposed to see Jesus in us. But we aren't Jesus, so how can they see Him? I don't get it."

"Well," said Mom, "remember what you told Parker about the sun and the moon when you were outside last night?"

"Sure," said Dawson. "I said the moon reflects the light of the sun."

"Right," said Mom. "The moon isn't the sun, but it reflects it. When people look at the moon, the light they see is really the light of the sun. And we're not Jesus, but because we belong to Him and have His Spirit in us, we can reflect His light. When people see what we do and how we treat others, they should be seeing Jesus's character shining through us."

"That's right," said Dad. "When we trust the Holy Spirit to help us be kind, patient, truthful, and unselfish, we reflect Jesus and His great love for everyone. Just like the moon reflects the light of the sun, Christians are able to reflect the love of God's Son--Jesus."

–Anna E. Baumeister