Bible Reading: Isaiah 55:8-9; Romans 8:28

"That's going to be so cool when it's finished," Kendyn said as she watched her mom sew some pieces of a patchwork quilt.

Mom smiled. "I hope so. This project is very special to me." She picked up a few of the fabric squares. "Do you recognize these pieces of material?"

"They're scraps from dresses I used to wear, aren't they?" said Kendyn.

Mom nodded. "Yes. And they remind me that God's way is best," she said as she began sewing again. "I used to become very disappointed and angry when I didn't get my way. I would get upset with God when He didn't answer my prayers the way I wanted."

"Really?" said Kendyn. "But how do these quilt pieces remind you of that?"

"Well," said Mom, "before you came to live with us, I wanted a baby very much. I prayed that we'd be able to adopt one right away. That didn't happen. Your dad and I prayed and prayed, and we waited and waited. I sometimes felt angry at God for not giving me my way."

"But then you got me," Kendyn said.

"That's just the point," said Mom with a smile. "I didn't get my way. God had His way--and it was much better. He taught us so much during those years when we were waiting, and we grew in our relationship with Jesus. He reminded us that He was with us in our pain and uncertainty and wanted us to bring our worries and sorrows to Him. We learned a lot about patience and about trusting God. And then we adopted you."

"If you had gotten a baby as soon as you wanted one, would you have still gotten me too?" asked Kendyn.

"We can't know for sure, but maybe not," replied Mom. "That's why this quilt is such a special project to me. I'm sewing together little remembrances from your life. As I do that, I'm reminded of how wonderful God's way was--and is--for me."

"And for me!" said Kendyn as she gave her mom a big hug.

– Nance E. Keyes

How About You?
Is there something you're hoping and praying for that you haven't gotten yet? Do you feel sad or even angry that you haven't gotten your way? Jesus understands and invites you to bring those feelings to Him. When you do, let Him remind you of His great love for you and trust Him to help you be patient. We can't always understand His ways, but He promises to be with us and help us follow His will for our lives. Trust Him, knowing His way is always best.

Today's Key Verse:
As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways. (NKJV) (Isaiah 55:9)

Today's Key Thought:
Trust God's way

Bible Reading: Ephesians 4:32-5:1; Philippians 2:1-4

"This is cool!" said Weston as he and some other boys from church hiked through the woods. Sometimes they walked easily along the well-beaten trail, but other times they had to scramble over fallen trees or weave their way around them. "Hey, Lucas!" Weston called out. "Race you to that tree up there!" But as he started off he tripped on a tree root, and down he went. "Ouch!" he cried, grabbing his ankle. Their leader, Mr. Greg, hurried over as Weston got up. "I think I can walk okay," Weston said, gingerly testing his ankle. "It doesn't hurt too bad."

"It'll be easier on him if he doesn't have to carry the extra weight of his backpack," said Lucas. "I'll carry it for him."

"Me too," chimed in several other voices.

"Thank you, boys," said Mr. Greg. So for the rest of the hike, the boys took turns carrying Weston's backpack.

At the end of the hike, the boys built a campfire and had a hot dog roast. "You know," said Mr. Greg, "what you boys did for Weston today is exactly what Jesus tells us to do for others. We all carry different responsibilities and problems in our lives, but if one of us has a load that's too heavy, the others need to help carry it until that person is able to handle it on their own again. You helped Weston carry his backpack, and Jesus wants us to help others carry their life's burdens. He carried our greatest burden of all--our sin--to the cross, and He offers us help and comfort whenever we're weighed down with life's struggles. When we help carry other people's burdens, we show them His love. What are some ways kids like you get burdened down, and what could a friend do to help?"

After a moment, Weston spoke. "Some kids have trouble with tests," he said. "Maybe we could offer to help them study."

"Yeah, and we could make friends with new kids at school and invite them to church," offered Lucas.

"We could even try to reach out to kids who aren't always nice to us," said Pete. "And pray for them too."

Mr. Greg nodded. "Good suggestions," he said. "This week, let's see how many burdens we can help carry for others."

– Gayle J. Thorn

How About You?
Does anyone around you have a burden you could help carry? Maybe you know someone who's struggling with homework or who's lonely and needs a friend. Even if you can't help them with their problems, you can still help carry their burdens by praying for them. When we show that we care about others by helping meet their needs, we show them the love of Jesus.

Today's Key Verse:
Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. (NIV) (Galatians 6:2 )

Today's Key Thought:
Help one another

Bible Reading: James 1:16-18

"It's so snowy," Johnny said as he looked out the school bus window. "I wonder if my mom will make it to meet the bus."

Caden glanced at his friend. Sometimes Johnny's mom was waiting for them when their bus got to their neighborhood, and sometimes she wasn't. "My grandpa will be there," said Caden.

Johnny nodded. "He always is."

When their bus reached its first stop, a younger girl started crying. "I don't see my aunt. She's supposed to meet me."

"She's probably having trouble walking through the deep snow." An older girl took the younger girl's hand. "I'll walk with you until you find her."

Johnny watched them get off of the bus. "My grandpa knows to head out early. He'll be waiting for me. I trust him." Ever since he and his brother had moved in with their grandpa, he had made sure to be waiting each day when the bus came to a stop.

The bus moved on, and there was drama at each stop as kids looked for the people who were supposed to walk them home. Caden relaxed against his seat. His grandpa would be there.

When they pulled up to his stop, Caden spotted his grandpa waiting with a big sled.

"Have you seen my mom?" Johnny asked when they got off the bus.

"She asked me to help you home," Grandpa said. "She didn't want to take your baby sister out in this weather."

Caden climbed into the sled with his friend. "I told you he'd be here."

They bounced their way home, and Caden put the sled away after Johnny ran to his house across the street.

Inside, Caden sat down by his big brother. "Grandpa is always there. He never changes. He's just there. Waiting."

Cole smiled. "Kind of like Jesus, huh?" He pointed to the Bible in front of him. "I was just reading about how Jesus is the same every day. Never changing. We can trust Him because of that. He loved us enough to die for us, and He'll always be there for us."

"I really do trust Grandpa," Caden said. "When someone shows up over and over again, you know they'll do what they need to do to be there."

Cole rubbed Caden's head. "I'm telling you, Jesus is like that too."

– Emily Acker

How About You?
Do you have someone in your life who you trust as much as Caden trusts his grandpa? Someone who is always there when you need them? Someone who does what they say they're going to do? Jesus is like that. He is always there for you, and that will never change. Even trustworthy people might let us down sometimes, but Jesus never will. You can always trust Him.

Today's Key Verse:
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (NKJV) (Hebrews 13:8)

Today's Key Thought:
Jesus never changes

Bible Reading: Proverbs 4:10-15, 18-19; Matthew 7:13-14

"This is so much fun!" exclaimed Scarlett as she tramped along through the snow with the other kids from her church.

"Yeah," said Ada. "This is a cool place to have a winter retreat."

Soon they came to a fork in the path. The kids ahead of them took the path to the right. "Wait!" called Scarlett. "Mr. Bailey said to turn left at each fork, and then we'll end up back at camp."

The other campers hesitated. "Yeah, but look! This path on the right is full of footprints. There aren't as many in the path to the left," argued one of the boys. "I think we should take the one everybody else used." Most of the kids agreed, and they all continued down the well-trodden path.

Scarlett and Ada didn't know what to do. "Mr. Bailey said to take the fork to the left," said Ada. "I think we should do that."

"Me too," said Scarlett. "Let's at least take it for a little ways. If we don't get back to camp soon, we can turn around and follow the other kids." Ada nodded, and they started off.

To the girls' delight, it wasn't long before they arrived back at camp. They explained to Mr. Bailey why the other campers weren't with them. He shook his head. "They'll come to a dead end and have to turn around. I'll send someone out on a snowmobile just to make sure they're all right."

During camp devotions that evening, Mr. Bailey grinned at the group. "We have some tired campers tonight," he said. "Most of you took a longer hike than you planned because you didn't follow the directions you were given. Instead, you followed the path many others had taken." He opened his Bible. "As many of you learned today, the right path is not always the popular one. God's Word tells us that many people choose the wrong path in life. We might be tempted to follow our own selfish desires thinking it will make us happy, but the Bible says that well-worn path only leads to destruction. There's only one way to have true joy and peace, and that's Jesus. When we trust in Him, He walks with us along the path that leads to eternal life. Choose to follow Him, not the crowd."

– Mary Rose Pearson

How About You?
Which path have you chosen to follow? Are you walking with Jesus down the path that leads to eternal life? Or are you going your own way? Though the world may tell us we can find our own way to happiness, the Bible says that path only leads to a dead end. Jesus says He is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). Trust and follow Him. (To learn more, click the "Good News!" button in the right column of this page or go to www.keysforkids.org/goodnews.)

Today's Key Verse:
Small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. (NIV) (Matthew 7:14 )

Today's Key Thought:
Follow Jesus, not the crowd

Bible Reading: Psalm 51:1-12; 1 John 1:9

Jonathan took out his dad's aftershave lotion and rubbed some on his face before leaving the bathroom. When his mother stepped into his room a little later, she sniffed the air. "What do I smell?" she asked.

"Jonathan used Dad's aftershave lotion," Sophie hollered from her room across the hall. She came to the doorway. "He didn't take a shower again."

Mom checked the bathroom. "His towel is damp."

"Check the soap," said Sophie. "Lots of times when I shower after him it's not even wet--he just wets his washcloth and towel and pretends he showered."

"Is that true, Jonathan?" asked Mom. She went to the shower and picked up the bar of soap. It was bone dry, and she glared at him.

"I just don't like getting all wet," Jonathan said defensively.

"You're so gross!" said Sophie.

"Shhh." Mom held up a finger. "Jonathan, I'm sure you know that using this--" she held up the aftershave, "doesn't take the place of using soap. When you splash on cologne or lotion instead of washing, you may smell nice for a while, but the dirt remains. And pretty soon people can tell."

"Yeah," said Sophie. "That smelly lotion can't cover up the fact that you're still as dirty as a pig!"

Mom cast Sophie a warning glance before turning back to Jonathan. "Well, Jonathan is going to take his shower now," said Mom. She sighed. "It's important to keep our bodies clean, but we also need to think about something even more important. Just like our skin gets dirty, our hearts can get dirty--dirty with sin. Things like pride or an unloving attitude fall into that category, Sophie. And so does deceiving your mother, Jonathan."

Both Sophie and Jonathan looked at the floor as Mom continued. "We may sometimes try to cover up the wrong things we do and hide them from other people, but there is nothing we can hide from God. Whenever we sin, we need to confess our wrongs to Jesus. He'll forgive us and wash us clean."

– Nance E. Keyes

How About You?
Do you try to cover up your sins? God can see through any cover-up. Even if you can keep people from knowing what you did wrong, you can't hide it from God. You need to confess your sins to Jesus so He can forgive you and make you clean. He died to pay the price of your sins, so you never need to hide them. Trust Him to give you a clean heart so you can enjoy fellowship with Him.

Today's Key Verse:
Scrub away my guilt. Wash me clean from my sin. (ERV) (Psalm 51:2)

Today's Key Thought:
Don't cover up sin