Bible Reading: 2 Corinthians 12:8-10

"I need you to move a little faster, Lincoln. What's taking you so long? This morning could not be going any worse, and you're not helping things at all."

Lincoln blinked back tears as his mom snapped at him for being too slow heading out to the van. One of his shoes had been hard to get on, so he was dragging his foot a bit, waiting until he was seated to fix it.

"I can't believe I overslept," Mom muttered to herself as they got into the van. "Today of all days, when I have a meeting with my boss…"

Lincoln got settled in the van and worked on adjusting his shoe. He had it fixed by the time his mom dropped him off at his grandma's house.

A few hours later, Mom returned to pick him up. "I'm sorry I was a little grumpy this morning, Lincoln." She held up a cup of an iced brown liquid. "I needed my morning coffee. I really can't go without that."

Lincoln sighed. "You needed it, Mom?"

"Yes. You know me and coffee; I can't function without it."

Lincoln followed his mom out to the van. "I thought the only thing we were supposed to need was Jesus."

"Hmm." Mom settled into the driver's seat. "Well, technically, He is all we need," she said. "But we have some earthly needs too."

Lincoln frowned. "Like coffee?"

Mom backed out of the driveway and started through town. She was quiet for a few minutes before she glanced back at Lincoln. "Okay, that's not a good excuse," she said. "I'm not a baby, crying because I need my milk at the start of the day. More importantly, Jesus gives me the power to love others the way He does. I should be able to be a loving and kind person without coffee. I'm sorry."

"I forgive you," Lincoln said. "And I'm sorry you overslept this morning."

"Everything worked out in the end," Mom said. "Right now I just need God's grace, huh? I need Him to forgive me for letting my bad morning and lack of coffee affect my attitude and lead to a case of the grumpies taking over."

–Emily Acker

Bible Reading: Philippians 3:4-11

"Dad, my glasses broke!" Levi said.

"Let me see," said Dad. "It looks like a screw needs tightening. I think I can fix them."

"I wish I could get new glasses like Justin's," Levi said. "The ones he got are really cool. He's always getting new things, and kids crowd around him to see his new stuff. With glasses like that, I'd be important like Justin."

"Well, let's see what we can do with these," said Dad. He set Levi's glasses on his workbench and reached for his toolbox. "For a job this important, I'll use my best tools." Dad lifted out a tray of screwdrivers, all of them in good condition. Dad was a carpenter, and he took good care of his tools. He pushed the tray toward Levi. "Which one should we use?"

Levi looked through the tray of short, long, wide, and narrow screwdrivers. None of them was the right size for the tiny screw. "None of these will work," he said.

"Are you sure?" asked Dad. "These are my very best tools."

"But they aren't the right ones for the job," said Levi.

"You're right." Dad pulled a tiny screwdriver out of a drawer and used it to tighten the small screw. "You know, getting new stuff to make us feel important is like using the wrong tool for the job. New stuff gets old and breaks, or someone else gets something better or more exciting than what we have. We might even find that other people just think our stuff is important and not us."

"So if getting new stuff is the wrong way to feel important, what's the right tool we should use?" asked Levi.

"The only way to truly feel loved and important is by receiving Jesus's gift of eternal life and embracing our identity in Him. He died and rose again to make us God's children, and that's a gift that will never break or wear out. Nothing will ever come along that's better. We're always loved and important to Him."

Dad handed Levi the repaired glasses, and Levi put them on. "Thanks, Dad," he said. "I can see much better now--and I see I'm important to Jesus. No new stuff needed."

–Heidi J. Schmidt

Bible Reading: Deuteronomy 31:7-8; Joshua 1:5

"Mae, I'd like you to put Miles down for his nap today," said Mom. "I need to make an important phone call."

"Okay," said Mae, smiling at her little brother. "Nap time!" she announced to the energetic little boy. Laughing, Miles toddled away, wanting his sister to chase him. Mae caught him quickly. "Sleepy time, buddy," she said, taking him to his crib. She hoisted him over the side and laid him down. Little Miles scrambled around on the mattress, ignoring soft toys and stuffed animals. He settled down when Mae patted his back for a few moments. "Sweet dreams," she whispered, backing out of the room.

Just as she was about to shut the door, Miles started crying. "Blankie!" he sobbed. "Blankie!" He pulled himself up and began to shake the railing.

Mae frowned. Where did he leave his blanket? She checked the TV room. She dug through the toy box. She searched the hall closet. She looked under the dining room table and on the chair seats. Finally, she found the blanket in a lower cupboard in the kitchen.

As soon as Mae handed Miles his blanket, he stopped crying. He clutched the blanket in his arms and dropped to the mattress. After a few shaky breaths, he smiled contentedly at Mae. "Sweet dreams," she said again as she left.

"Miles had to have his 'blankie' before he'd go to sleep," Mae told her mother later. "Good thing I found it or he never would have settled down."

"That blanket is his security," said Mom. "I guess we all need security--even grown-ups! We need to feel comfortable and cared for and safe. What's your security, Mae?"

"My security?" asked Mae in surprise. She shrugged. "You, I guess. I know you're here to help me if I need you." She grinned. "You're my 'blankie.' What's yours?"

"Well, we all find some security in family and friends, but a Christian's real security is in Jesus and His love and forgiveness. He cares for us, and He's always available. He saved us and promises to do what's best for us, even when we go through difficult times."

Mae nodded thoughtfully. "He's better than a blanket any day."

–Mary M. Ihlenfeldt

Bible Reading: Psalm 46:1-3, 10-11; Romans 8:35-39

Ryan helped his dad straighten the canvas of the tent that lay on the ground. "I love camping," he said. "Sleeping in a tent is so cool!"

Dad smiled. "I think so too. Okay, help me get the pegs through these tent loops. We'll pound the pegs in about halfway at first and then secure them when they're all in place."

Dad took one of the pegs and stuck it through a loop on the side of the tent. Ryan pounded it with the hammer. As Dad continued putting each peg in place, Ryan pounded it down. Then they put the poles together and raised the tent. "I can't wait to go inside and get my sleeping bag rolled out!" said Ryan.

"Well, don't try going in yet," said Dad. "It could collapse on you. We need to pound the pegs deeper into the ground first, remember?"

Ryan nodded, and they got to work. When the tent was finally secured, they put their sleeping bags inside. Then they grabbed their fishing poles and headed for the river.

Around midnight, Ryan woke to the sound of distant thunder. He saw that Dad was awake too. "Our tent won't blow down, will it?" Ryan asked.

"Oh, I don't think so," said Dad. "The wind is pretty gusty, but I don't think it will get strong enough tonight to blow the tent away. The pegs will hold it in place."

He was right. The wind soon died down and the storm passed, and Ryan and Dad went back to sleep.

"I'm glad we pounded those tent pegs in good and tight," said Ryan as they enjoyed a campfire breakfast the next morning.

"Me too," said Dad. "They kept our tent in place during the storm." He smiled at Ryan. "Do you know who holds us steady through the storms of life?"

"Jesus does," said Ryan. "If the wind got strong enough, the tent pegs might have let go, but nothing could ever make Jesus let go of us, could it?"

"No way," said Dad. "He died for our sins and rose again so we could spend eternity with Him. No matter how many difficult things come into our lives, we can always count on Jesus to hold us steady and help us through them."

–Pauline Youd

Bible Reading: Galatians 5:22-25

"Mom, can we have fruit salad for lunch?" asked Brynlee.

"Good idea," said Mom. "You can help me make it. We have lots of different kinds of fruit we can use today." As they began putting the fruit together, Mom had an idea. "Maybe we can put nine different kinds of fruit in our salad and pretend we're putting in the fruit of the Spirit," she said. "We learned about them in church last week, remember?"

"Yeah," said Brynlee. "I'll name them as we put them in." She put orange pieces into a big bowl. "I'll call these love," she said. Then she opened a can and added pineapple chunks. "These will be joy. What else do we have?"

"I have some fresh peach wedges ready," said Mom. "And here's a cantaloupe we can cut up."

Brynlee put in the peaches, calling them peace. She decided on patience for the cantaloupe. "The apples will be kindness, and the pears will be goodness," she said. "I'll slice some bananas and call them faithfulness."

"Okay, and you can add some of these grapes," said Mom. Brynlee called the grapes gentleness.

"We still need a fruit for self-control," said Brynlee. "But we don't have anything else, do we?"

Mom shook her head. "No, I don't think so," she said. "Unless…" She opened a cupboard door. "How about some dried cranberries?"

"All right!" said Brynlee. "Now we have something for each fruit of the Spirit."

"Good," said Mom. "You did a great job remembering them. You got them all!"

At lunchtime, everyone enjoyed the salad. "Good to the last bite," said Dad, popping the last piece of pineapple into his mouth.

"And now our fruit of the Spirit is all gone," said Brynlee.

"I hope not!" said Mom. "Spiritual fruit will always be a part of our lives as Christians. As we rely on the Holy Spirit to fill us with love and become more like Jesus, others will be able to see the fruit of God's love in us."

Dad nodded. "I pray that the fruit God produces in our lives will show people we belong to Him."

–Linda Weddle

Bible Reading: Psalm 103:11-13; Isaiah 64:8; Hosea 11:1-4

"Good job!" Dad shouted to Ellery. He was holding on to her by a towel looped under her armpits as she practiced riding her two-wheel bike. Her tongue stuck out of her mouth in deep concentration as she tried to maintain her balance even with Dad's support.

"Whoa!" she exclaimed, her eyes going wide. She started wobbling, but Dad held her upright as the bike went down to the ground. He hauled Ellery to her feet and smiled down at her. Ellery looked up at Dad and asked, "Again?"

Ellery practiced her biking skills for a while longer before they returned to the campsite just in time to grill some burgers over the fire. Meredith, her older sister, and Mom were just finishing up their quiet time when they arrived. Dad helped Ellery assemble her dinner just the way she liked it--two slices of cheese, three squirts of mustard, and four pickles.

"I read something interesting in my Bible today," Meredith said as Ellery dove into her food.

Ellery made a strange gurgling sound that resembled the words, "What, what?"

"Manners," both Mom and Dad said in unison.

Meredith looked at her sister and shook her head before continuing. "I read that God is our Father. I think it's cool there are so many different words in the Bible that describe who God is."

"Do you know why God calls Himself our Father?" Mom asked.

"Because He made us!" Ellery jumped in, now having swallowed her delicious bite.

"You're right," Dad said. "And when we trust in Jesus, we become part of God's family. The Bible also describes what kind of Father God is. He teaches us, encourages us, and is always with us."

"Like how you helped me on my bike today!"

"Or how you helped me with my jump shot in basketball," Meredith added.

Dad smiled at them. "Yes, but us human dads aren't perfect. My dad hurt me a lot when I was younger, and I know I'm not perfect and have messed up too. But God never does that. He is the perfect Father."

"He's even better than you?" Ellery asked.

"Even better than you can imagine," Dad responded as Ellery leaned her head against his arm.

–Zoe Brickner

Bible Reading: Ephesians 1:3-7; 1 Peter 1:18-19

"Sold!" proclaimed the fast-talking auctioneer, and Logan grinned at his mother. He found auctions fun and interesting, so he hadn't minded when she wanted to stop and see what was happening at this antique auction. "Another broken piece of junk sold to the highest bidder," Logan murmured, stifling a laugh. He liked to tease his mom about liking antiques.

Mom smiled and nudged him with her elbow. "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder," she told him. Logan shrugged and continued sitting on his hands as the auctioneer began selling an autographed baseball. Logan had learned to avoid lifting his hand during the bidding. Earlier he had started to scratch his head and the auctioneer thought he was bidding on the item being auctioned.

As they drove home after the auction, Logan asked his mom why people were so willing to spend their money on other people's junk. "I can't believe how much they'll pay for that stuff," he said. "I thought a few things they sold at the auction were cool, but people paid less for them than for stuff I wouldn't want if it were given to me! Who decides how much those things are worth?"

"The condition of the piece is important," said Mom, "and whether the item is rare or not is also a factor. But the bottom line is…well, how much someone is willing to pay for it. That's really what determines how much an item is worth."

Logan thought for a moment. "That's kinda like something we talked about in my class at church last week," he said. "Our teacher explained that God sent His Son to die for us--Jesus paid for our sins with His own life. I guess that makes us worth a lot!"

"I like that, Logan," Mom said. "I think you got a lot from that auction--even though you didn't buy anything."

Logan had one more question. "Um, Mom, what did I almost buy today when I scratched my head?"

"An old record player," Mom replied.

"Oh." Logan paused. "What's a record player?"

–Mike Dize

Bible Reading: Isaiah 55:8-9

Gunner ran to the garage when he heard his parents drive in. "Is Grandpa okay?" he asked anxiously as they got out of the car.

Dad put his hand on Gunner's shoulder. "Your grandfather isn't suffering anymore," he said quietly. "He died this afternoon--he's in heaven now."

Gunner swallowed hard, forcing back tears that choked his throat. He walked away while Dad was still talking.

In his room, Gunner thought about all the things he and Grandpa had planned to do. "It's not fair!" he muttered. He looked up as Dad came in. "I don't get it," Gunner said. "I prayed all day for Grandpa. God can do anything, can't He? So why didn't He heal Grandpa?"

"Sometimes God's answer to what we ask is no," Dad said gently. "I don't know why He didn't heal Grandpa, but I know Jesus promises to be with us in our pain and sadness. Grandpa is in heaven with Him now, and someday we'll see him again."

Gunner turned away. He wasn't ready to give up his grandfather. "But I wanted Grandpa to stay here with us."

Dad sat down beside him. "When you ask Mom and me for something we don't think is good for you, we tell you no. You don't like it when we say no. You might be upset about it--maybe even angry sometimes. But you know we love you and want what's best for you, right?" Gunner nodded. "We talk about what's happening and how all of us feel, and we go on loving each other," continued Dad. "We're a family even though we disagree. Well, that's how it is with God too. When we don't get what we ask Him for, we're unhappy and sometimes get angry with Him. It's okay to tell Him how we feel, but we need to remember that God loves us so much He sent His Son to die for us. He wants what's best for us--and for Grandpa."

"But I'm going to miss Grandpa so much," Gunner said, resting his face against his dad's shoulder.

"Me too," Dad said. "We can cry together." Gunner slipped his arm around his dad and hung on tight. "But let's thank Jesus that Grandpa is with Him now," said Dad. "And let's trust Him even though we're hurting."

–Janet Boulter