Bible Reading: Psalm 34:1-8

Adelyn frowned at the TV. Wind was whipping around in the news video being shown. She trembled as the wind knocked a tree into a house. The reporter on the TV didn't sound scared, but Adelyn didn't like what she was seeing.

"Oh no…" Adelyn covered her eyes as the reporter moved from talking about the tornado to talking about a robbery.

"Adelyn!" Her grandpa sounded startled. "I didn't know you were in here." She heard the creak of his recliner.

Adelyn pulled her hands down from her face and looked at the TV. It was now blank. She let out a relieved breath.

Grandpa nodded toward the door. "We don't need to watch that. Let's go outside and focus on something good."

Adelyn stepped out into the yard, smiling when Grandpa had her stop to smell his favorite rosebush. Everything seemed happier away from the TV.

"Our neighbors brought home a new baby," Grandpa said. "He looks as small as you when you were born." He pointed down the street. "People have been coming and going at their house, bringing them food and gifts."

Grandpa pointed out a bed of marigolds. "I always thought those looked like little cheery suns."

"They do." Adelyn smiled again.

"I want you to remember something." Grandpa crouched down to pet the neighbor's dog that had run into their yard. "All that stuff you see on TV, all that dark stuff…even as that's going on, there are good things happening too. We shouldn't just focus on the bad and ignore the good."

"But why do they show all that?" asked Adelyn. "Why do you watch it?"

"I like to know what's going on," Grandpa said. "I want to know how I can pray for others who are hurting. But I don't get so caught up in it that I forget God is still good and that He's always blessing us. We need to see the beauty in the world and not just the bad. We need to remember that Jesus loves us and that He died and rose again to save the world. We need to trust that God is working out His plan to make everything right one day." He waved his arms around. "All of this--nature and the people living around me--they remind me that God is good."

-Emily Acker

How About You?
Does watching the news ever make you feel sad or afraid? It can be hard to hear about all the bad things going on in the world, but remember there are good things happening too. God loves us so much He sent His Son to die for us, and He is at work in the world. He fills our lives with good things and promises to end sin and suffering forever one day. Remember that He is good and enjoy His blessings all around you.

Today's Key Verse:
The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made. (NIV) (Psalm 145:9)

Today's Key Thought:
God is good

Bible Reading: Proverbs 12:15-18; Galatians 5:22-23

Maddie's brother Jason came into the kitchen wearing a frown. "I just met a grizzly bear!" he told his mom as he poured himself some cereal. "Maddie sure is grumpy." Just then there was a knock at the door. "It's for Grizzly," Jason muttered, seeing one of Maddie's friends through the window. He called for his sister.

Maddie came out of her room and scowled at him. "You could have answered the door," she hissed. She pulled the front door open. "Hey, Claire!" she said, smiling.

After Maddie and Claire left for school, Jason shook his head. "How can she be so grumpy one minute and so happy the next? She sure is moody!"

A few days later, Maddie hummed happily as she helped her dad get the grill ready for hamburgers. But when her little sister wanted to help, Maddie angrily shooed her away. Then she checked the grill. "The fire is out," she said and picked up the fuel starter. "I'll squirt some of this on the coals."

"No, don't!" Dad called out, but he was too late. Maddie was tipping the starter can over the hot coals. Immediately, flames shot up at her.

"Oh!" Maddie exclaimed, jumping back.

Dad grabbed her. "Are you okay, Maddie?"

She nodded nervously. "I didn't expect that! The fire was out!"

"You know, honey," Dad said as he flipped hamburgers a few minutes later, "these hot coals remind me of you lately. You're calm one minute and blowing up at someone the next."

Maddie's face flushed. "I…I am?"

Dad nodded. "And the person you snap at doesn't expect it. Just like you jumped to get away from that fire, your moodiness makes people want to avoid you."

"Oh." Maddie sighed. "So what should I do?"

"Well, first you need to remember that Jesus has given you the Holy Spirit so that you can respond to others in love. Trust Him to help you be more even-tempered. Then think about whether there's something you need to talk to someone about. Sometimes, when something is bothering us, it can cause us to have mood swings. Your mom and I are always here to help, and so are the counselors at your school. And you can talk to Jesus about it too."

Maddie nodded. "Okay, Dad." She gave him a small smile. "I'll do that."

-Sara L. Nelson

How About You?
Are you moody? Are you happy one minute and angry the next? We all feel sad, upset, or discouraged at times, but continual moodiness may point to a deeper problem. Talk to Jesus about it, and trust Him to help you control your moods and share His love and joy with others. And don't be afraid to seek help from a trusted adult if your feelings become overwhelming.

Today's Key Verse:
A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise person holds it in check. (CSB) (Proverbs 29:11)

Today's Key Thought:
Learn self-control

Bible Reading: Deuteronomy 31:1-6; Psalm 56:3-4

"Dad, I'm really nervous about school. I can hardly even sleep at night," Thomas told his dad. Their family had just moved to a new town, and Thomas was dreading his first day at the new school.

"I have an idea," Dad replied. "Let's celebrate this new beginning with an adventure! Do you want to join me on a caving expedition?"

Thomas's dad enjoyed exploring caves as a hobby, and Thomas had been asking his dad to take him for years. "Do you really mean it? Yes! That would be awesome!" he readily agreed.

The next morning, Thomas and his dad drove to the mountains. After hiking to a rocky ridgeline, they climbed through a tiny hole and descended a subterranean slope into a pitch-black cave. At the bottom of the slope, Dad gave a surprising directive. "Let's turn off our headlamps for a moment, Thomas. I want you to experience true darkness."

After turning off their lights, Thomas realized he couldn't even see his own hand. Immediately, he reached out to make sure his dad was still within arm's reach. Grabbing his dad's arm, he said, "Dad, this darkness is scary. Let's turn our lights back on."

Dad complied, and the two adventurers spent the next hour exploring the dark cavern together.

When the adventure was over, the long drive home was the perfect opportunity to reflect on the fun expedition.

"You were pretty scared when we turned out our lights in the cave, weren't you?" Dad asked Thomas.

"Totally! I knew you were there, but I felt really scared when I couldn't see you!"

"Don't worry, Thomas, I was with you the whole time," Dad said. "And you know what else? Just like I would never leave you alone in a dark cave, God promises never to leave us. Even though we can't see Him, He's always watching over us and guiding us. Jesus is our light--He saved us from the darkness of sin and death--and we can trust Him to be with us and help us when things seem dark and scary. I want you to remember this lesson as you start school next week, okay?"

Thomas smiled. "Did you take me caving just to teach me this lesson?"

"Maybe I did," Dad remarked with a grin.

-Caleb and Stacey Pardoe

How About You?
Do you feel nervous about something in your life right now? Maybe you're preparing to start a new afterschool activity, go to camp next summer, or even move to a new town. God wants you to remember that He is with you. If you know Jesus as your Savior, He has promised never to leave you. You can trust Him to guide you and give you strength.

Today's Key Verse:
[God] himself has said, "I will never leave you or abandon you." (CSB) (Hebrews 13:5)

Today's Key Thought:
God will never leave you

Bible Reading: Psalms 73:23-28; 147:4-5; John 1:9-14

"Wow, look at all the stars!" Bretton gaped at the tiny specks of light splattered across the night sky as he and his dad walked onto the beach. "I don't think I've ever seen so many at once!"

"It's amazing, isn't it?" Dad spread a blanket on the sand so they could sit down. "This has always been my favorite part of camping--getting away from all the city lights so we can see the stars."

"Yeah," said Bretton. He pointed to a twinkling point of light. "Look at that one! It's brighter than the rest."

"That's Sirius, or the Dog Star. It's one of the closest stars to Earth, and it's twice as big as our sun."

"Really? It's bigger than the sun?" asked Bretton.

"Sure is. And it's small compared to some other stars out there." Dad pointed to a spot slightly below Sirius. "In that area of the sky is one of the biggest stars we know of--VY Canis Majoris. It's two thousand times bigger than the sun!" Dad took a quarter out of his pocket. "If this quarter was the sun, VY Canis Majoris would fill half a football field!"

"No way!" Bretton looked at the dim spot in the sky. "But I can't even see it from here!"

"It's too far away to see with the naked eye," said Dad. "You need binoculars or a telescope."

"It's so much bigger than Sirius, but Sirius is easier to see," observed Bretton. "And the sun is the smallest of them, but on earth it shines the brightest!"

"That's because of the stars' distance from earth, not their size. If you saw all three side by side, you'd know which one was biggest!"

Dad leaned back on the blanket. "You know, the same can be true of how we view God, the One who made the stars. Sometimes on earth God can seem small and distant compared to other things that seem important, like being successful or having cool stuff. But God sent His Son, Jesus, to bring us near to Him, and when we have a relationship with Jesus and see His goodness in our lives, His light becomes brighter and everything else grows dim. Just like being close to a star is the only way to see its true size, we need Jesus to show us how big and wonderful He really is."

-Courtney Lasater

How About You?
Has God ever seemed small and distant to you? Maybe you don't think He's as important as other things in your life because you can't see or touch Him. But God is bigger and more powerful than you could ever imagine. He created the entire universe, and He wants to have a relationship with you! Trust in Jesus today. (To learn more, click the "Good News!" button in the right column of this page.) Then watch His light grow brighter in your life!

Today's Key Verse:
The Word [Jesus] became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory. (NIV) (John 1:14)

Today's Key Thought:
You can have a relationship with God

Bible Reading: 1 Corinthians 9:19-23

Asher and his friend Enzo looked at the creek that ran through the field near their homes. They were trying to figure out how to build a bridge over it. "I bet my dad has some boards we could use," said Enzo.

The two boys ran to the shed in Enzo's backyard and found a couple of long, wide boards. They carried one of them to the creek, lifted it high, and gave it a heave, hoping it would land with both ends on dry ground. But…SPLASH! "Oh no! It missed the creek bank," said Asher. "This board won't work. It's too short." After a quick look at his watch, he added, "I need to get home--let's finish this tomorrow. I'll ask my dad if he has something that will help us." Enzo nodded, and the boys set the board against a tree and headed home.

Mom met Asher at the door. "I'm glad you're home early. We invited the new family down the street to come for dinner tonight."

Asher groaned. "Why do we have to have them over? They don't speak English very well, and the boy my age has a weird name I can't pronounce. Can I eat at Enzo's house? We can talk over our plans to build a bridge over the creek."

"You're eating here with us," Mom said firmly, and Asher could tell by the look on her face that she wasn't happy about his attitude.

"I don't think they believe in God," said Asher. "We probably shouldn't get too close to them." He thought for sure his mother would have to agree with that.

"Maybe they don't believe in God," said Mom. "But they'll have a chance to get to know Him if we share His love with them tonight. Our new neighbors may seem different to us, but different doesn't mean bad. I'm sure we seem different to them." Mom paused for a moment. "Since you're interested in building bridges, how about helping build a bridge here tonight? Through friendship and hospitality, we can build a bridge to reach our new neighbors and show them the love of Jesus. He loves them and died for them too, so they're not so different from us after all." She motioned toward the bathroom. "Now go wash up for dinner."

-Nance E. Keyes

How About You?
How do you act when you're with people who are different from you? Do you try to avoid them? Or do you build a bridge with Jesus's love? Jesus loves all the people of the world, and He wants to show that love through you. Let others see His love by reaching out and welcoming them to your side of the bridge.

Today's Key Verse:
I have become all things to all people, so that I may by every possible means save some. (CSB) (1 Corinthians 9:22)

Today's Key Thought:
Build bridges with love