Bible Reading: Psalm 136:1-9

"Our room is going to look so cool!" Ivy said as she set her brush down and took a seat on the floor. She and her twin sister, Elinor, had just finished painting their room completely black. After it dried, they were going to put star-shaped glow-in-the-dark stickers all over the walls.

"It's going to be like sleeping outside!" Elinor said.

"Okay, now we need to decide how we're going to put the stickers up," said Ivy. "Do we want to do some sort of pattern or just put them up randomly?"

Just then Mom walked in. "The walls look good, girls." She turned on the overhead light. "I'm glad you're going to add the stickers though, otherwise it would be pretty dark in here."

"Thanks, Mom," said Elinor. "That light helps--it's only three in the afternoon and it's already getting hard to see in here!"

"Yeah," said Ivy. "Can you imagine what it would be like if God had made the sky completely black, without any stars or light?"

"That would be pretty dark," replied Elinor. "Do you remember when we first moved here and we'd try to find the bathroom in the middle of the night with no lights on?"

"I do," said Mom. "You girls got so many bruises from running into things that we finally had to get a night light."

"Yes, and we were sure thankful for it!" Elinor picked up a star sticker from the floor. "I'm thankful God gives us night lights outside too. The stars and moon are beautiful to look at."

"And bright," added Ivy. "When the sky is clear and the moon is full, we don't even need the house light on to play basketball."

Mom nodded. "Sometimes we take for granted all that God has created and provided for us. It's important to remember to pause and thank Him for everything. I'm thankful that Jesus is the light of my life and that He loves me enough to die for my sins."

Ivy sat up. "Elinor, that gives me an idea for how we should arrange the stickers! Let's scatter them around, but in the center of one of the walls, we form the words 'Give Thanks.'"

"Let's do it!" said Elinor. "That will be a good reminder to thank God for everything He's done for us."

– Melissa Yeagle

Bible Reading: Psalm 118:6-9; Isaiah 41:10

Danae was excited when she returned home from an afternoon of horseback riding. "That was so much fun!" she told her family. "We went on a trail ride through the woods. My horse was spooked once, but I didn't fall off!"

"Spooked?" asked Dallas, Danae's little brother. "Did you see a ghost?"

Danae laughed. "No, Dallas. It's just that when horses see something they don't expect--like a piece of paper blowing in the wind--they might all of a sudden jump sideways or try to run away. We call that being spooked. If you're not a good rider, you might fall off when the horse does that."

"Horses are so big!" said Dallas. "Why would papers scare them?"

Danae shrugged. "I don't know. They just do. But if the horse knows you and trusts you, he usually calms down and you can get him to go places he'd be scared to go otherwise."

"Sounds like you've learned a lot about horses and how to ride them," said Dad. "Your description of how a horse responds when he trusts his rider is a good picture of how we should respond when we truly trust God."

Danae tilted her head. "You mean we shouldn't be afraid to go wherever God wants us to go because we can trust Him to take care of us?"

"Exactly," said Dad. "We need to trust Him in every situation. Sometimes we get spooked when unexpected things happen in our lives. We need to learn to trust God to take us through all the scary places."

"Like when Mom was diagnosed with cancer?" asked Dallas. "That was scary."

Mom nodded. "It was scary for me too. But your dad's right--we can trust God to take care of us in scary situations like that. Even though I was afraid of what might happen, I knew that because Jesus died to save me, He would always be with me through everything. Knowing that gave me peace and helped me not be afraid."

"I didn't know I'd learn all this just from horseback riding," Danae said.

A mischievous grin crept across Dallas's face. "Maybe it's time for me to take lessons too so we can all learn more about Jesus!"

– Deborah S. Marett

Bible Reading: Psalm 34:1-15; 2 Corinthians 12:8-10

Thea inhaled the mist from her nebulizer. She felt her chest muscles relax as air rushed in. Just a few minutes before, an asthma attack had robbed her of her breath. "How do you feel now?" Mom asked as Thea let out a breath.

"Better," Thea said. "I wish I didn't have asthma."

"I know," Mom said. "But thank God we have this medicine when you do have an attack."

"Mom, why doesn't God just heal my asthma like I've asked Him to?" asked Thea. "Doesn't He like me?"

"I don't know why God heals some people and not others. Even when Jesus lived on earth, some sick people weren't healed. But we know that Jesus loved them and that He loves you because He died so we could have our sins forgiven."

"Then why pray about it if God isn't going to heal me?" Thea asked. "I still have the medicine to make me feel better when I need it."

"Remember when we took you to the emergency room during your first asthma attack?" Mom asked.

"Yeah, that was scary," Thea said. "I could hardly breathe at all! Then Dr. Singh came. He knew what medicines I needed."

"Maybe since you have your medicine, we don't need Dr. Singh anymore," Mom suggested.

"But Mom, he's in charge of my treatment plan!" Thea protested.

"You're right, Thea. We still need Dr. Singh--and we also need God. When we pray, we're asking God to take charge of our lives. God loves you and is working for your good. In fact, God gave the knowledge to treat asthma to doctors like Dr. Singh. Your medicines came from the earth He created. Your doctor isn't here for every attack, but we trust and follow his treatment plan. We don't know all the ways God is working in our lives, but we know He loves us and is always with us, even when doctors can't be. We can trust that God knows just what we need and is bringing about good, even when He doesn't answer our prayers the way we ask."

Thea sighed. "Then I guess the best treatment plan for my asthma is to keep praying and let God be in charge."

– Heidi Schmidt

Bible Reading: Philippians 2:1-4

"Oh man! Julie's here again?" whined Luke.

"I told Aunt Megan I would watch her for a few hours," said Mom. "What's wrong? I thought you loved your baby cousin."

"She's fine, I guess. It's just that whenever she's here, Kevin totally ignores me. He doesn't want to play or go outside. He just wants to hold Julie. What's so great about her, anyway?" muttered Luke. "She can't even do anything,"

"Let me show you something we liked to do with you when you were a baby," said Mom as she led him to Julie and his older brother, Kevin. "It takes a while for a baby's sight to develop. Julie can only see things that are eight inches away from her face."

"Really? How far is that?" asked Luke.

"That's just the right distance to see whoever's holding her," Mom replied. "Watch this." She slowly stuck her tongue in and out of her mouth at Julie.

Julie started doing it back!

"The only time it's not rude to stick out your tongue is if you're playing with a baby," Luke said with a laugh. "Let me try!" Much to Luke's delight, Julie mimicked him too.

"Let's try peekaboo," suggested Kevin.

Luke covered his face with his hands and then suddenly pulled them away and said, "Peekaboo!" Julie started kicking excitedly and huffed with joy. Then Kevin and Luke both tried the tongue trick again.

When Aunt Megan arrived, Luke asked if Julie could stay longer.

"I guess Julie grew on you, Luke," said Mom.

"Once I realized she could see me, it was fun to connect with her," said Luke.

"And that connection is important," said Mom. "Julie was looking up at you today, and she'll continue to look up to you as she grows. Just like you enjoy having your brother's attention, younger kids will thrive when you give them your attention, and you'll be showing them God's love too. He wants us to help younger children grow by loving and caring for them the way He loves and cares for us as His children."

"I guess that means I'll have to stop sticking my tongue out at Julie," said Luke with a smile.

– Kelly Bakshi

Bible Reading: Psalms 27:5-10, 14; 91:14-16

Because there was so much arguing going on inside the house, no one heard Jude slip out the back door. He ran across the yard and shimmied up his favorite tree. Somehow, sitting in the big old tree made Jude feel better--safe from things like noise and heartache. The tree was his hiding place and escape.

Jude stayed in the tree for a long time. He listened to birds chirp and sing. He watched small, quick squirrels run around the yard. The day looked better from high up in his favorite hiding place. There were no problems here. Still, his heart was very heavy.

"Jude!" called Mom from the back door. "Where are you?" Jude saw that his grandma was there too, so he climbed down and walked slowly toward the house. "Grandma wants to know if you'd like to go home with her for a while," said Mom. "Do you want to?" Eagerly, Jude nodded.

"That tree you were in must be very special to you," Grandma said as they got into the car. "Your mom says you spend a lot of time there."

"I like it up there," said Jude. "It's away from everything." He sighed. "But it's almost winter. Then I won't be able to hide in my tree anymore."

"Sounds like you'll need a new hiding place," said Grandma. "And you know what? There's an even better place where you can take shelter from the things that trouble you."

Jude was surprised. "There is? Where?"

"Any place you want it to be," Grandma replied. "It's the Lord's presence. Because you trust in Jesus, His Spirit lives in you, and He's always with you. He wants to help you and remind you how much He loves you. You can talk to Him anywhere, anytime."

Jude kicked his feet together, looking down at the mat in the car rather than his Grandma's gentle gaze. "What if I don't want to talk about it, even with God?

Grandma was silent for a moment. "Then remember that Jesus knows exactly what you're going through and promises to give you strength," she finally said. "If you don't want to talk, remember that He loves you so much He died for you, and know that you're safe in His care. He will listen whenever you're ready and will carry you through."

– Nance E. Keyes

Bible Reading: John 10:27-30

When Shaun asked to see the gift his little sister had just opened, Kelsey turned away. "No," she said. "Mine."

"I just want to look at it!" Shaun said.

"Sorry, kiddo, but it is her gift," said Mom. "I'm sure she'll let you look at it later. Right now, she's in love with that little dog."

"It's a dog?" Shaun just wanted to see the small toy his grandparents had given his toddler sister for her birthday. When he got gifts, he held them up for all to see. But his sister had opened her gift and immediately gripped it tightly in her hand.

Later that afternoon, Shaun found Kelsey sitting on the couch, watching a cartoon. He sat down beside her and touched her hand. It was still clenched in a fist, the toy she had gotten barely sticking out of it. "Can I see this now?"

"Mine." Kelsey pulled her hand away from him.

"But you're watching a show!" Shaun sighed. "I just want to look at it for a minute."

"She's really attached to that thing." Mom stepped into the room. "She fell in love with it right away and doesn't want to let it go."

"I've never seen her care about a toy so much," Shaun said.

Mom sat down next to him. "I'm going to have to pry it away when it's time for her bath," she said. "That might be a struggle." She nudged Shaun's shoulder. "This makes me think of what we read during our devotional time this morning."

Shaun didn't remember what they had read. "What do you mean?"

"Remember what Jesus said about those who trust in Him?" Mom asked. "He said that no one will be able to take us from His hand."

Shaun looked to his sister and then his mom. "You think He'd hold on that tight to us if someone tried?"

Mom nodded. "I do. And He is much stronger than your baby sister. If He's clenching us in His hand like that, no one is ever going to get a hand on us."

"You think He cares about us as much as Kelsey cares about that dog?" Shaun asked.

Mom smiled. "Even more. Jesus gave His own life so we could be His, and He will never let us go."

– Emily Acker

Bible Reading: Hebrews 11:8-12

Jack helped Dad load the last of the boxes into the truck. Then he jumped down to the street and looked up at his house. It wasn't the largest or fanciest house on the block, but it was the only place he'd ever called home. Now his parents had accepted teaching positions at a school in Guatemala. They were moving away to an entirely new country.

The moving truck door rumbled shut behind him. "That's the last of it," Dad said, wiping his dusty hands on his jeans. He turned to Jack. "Ready to get to the storage unit?"

"Yeah, okay," Jack said.

He shuffled toward the front of the truck and climbed in. Dad started the engine, and they drove slowly down the street. They passed Jack's favorite park, where kids he knew climbed on the jungle gym and played tag in the field. "Does our new neighborhood have a park too, Dad?" he asked.

"I don't think so," Dad said. "But there's a playground at the school."

Jack swallowed a groan. A new school with kids who would probably all speak Spanish.

The red-and-white-striped umbrellas outside Mimi's Ice Cream Shoppe came into view. "Are there ice cream shops in Guatemala?" Jack asked, unable to keep the longing out of his voice.

Dad glanced over at him. "Things will be different in Guatemala, Jack, but that doesn't mean they'll be bad."

"But how do you know?" Jack asked.

"Well…" Dad stopped the truck at a red light. "It isn't always easy to see the next turn in life. But that's what faith is all about--having confidence that God will see us through each new thing. He has always taken care of us--He sent Jesus to save us from sin and has provided for us and helped us through hard times. We can trust Him to be with us and help us now." The light turned green, and Dad guided the truck onto the next road.

Jack thought about how he trusted Dad to drive the truck. He couldn't see the storage unit from where he sat, but he knew Dad would get them there. If he could trust Dad, he could surely trust Jesus, who died and rose again, to keep His promises.

"Dad? Can we stop at Mimi's one last time on the way home?"

Dad smiled. "Sure. One last time."

– Christa Hogan

Bible Reading: Revelation 21:22-27

Willow swallowed hard. Ever since Dad had helped her set up her newspaper route accounts on the computer, she worked diligently to keep them up to date. But now she hesitated as her finger hovered over the delete key. The account on the computer screen was that of one of her customers--Mrs. Trembley. The name glowed with a special brightness--or so it seemed to Willow. As she stared at it, she tried hard not to cry. "Mrs. Elizabeth C. Trembley, 288 Fox Street, Faris, Iowa," Willow murmured. She swallowed again and then punched the key. Mrs. Trembley's name and address disappeared, and the screen returned to the program's home page. The account was gone forever--just like Mrs. Trembley.

A tear slid down Willow's cheek as Dad came into the room. "Willow, what's wrong?" he asked.

Willow gulped. "I erased Mrs. Trembley." She gestured toward the computer as she brushed a tear away with the back of her hand. "I feel so sad about it, Dad. She was the nicest person on my paper route."

Dad nodded and put a hand on Willow's shoulder. Mrs. Trembley had been a real friend to Willow, but the kind elderly lady had died of a heart attack a couple weeks earlier.

"When I pushed the delete button, I felt like I was erasing Mrs. Trembley's life," Willow said faintly.

"You told me Mrs. Trembley was a Christian, didn't you?" asked Dad.

Willow nodded. "She said she trusted in Jesus when she was a little girl."

"Then Mrs. Trembley is safe with the Lord," Dad said. "Her name is written in the Book of Life--God's record of all those who have been saved by Jesus and will live with Him forever--and it will never be deleted." Dad gave Willow a hug. "You deleted Mrs. Trembley's name from the computer, but no one will ever erase her name from God's records. She's with Jesus now, and one day He will raise her from the dead."

"I know." Willow smiled as she thought about that. She sighed, but she felt a bit better. "I'm glad. And I know I'll see Mrs. Trembley again someday, because my name is written in God's book too."

–Carol J. Brookman