Bible Reading: Matthew 13:31-32; 17:14-20

Gianna and her cousins were spending the day at Grandpa's house. "Will you measure us, Grandpa?" asked Alex. "I want to see how tall I am."

"All right." Grandpa followed them to the wall where he had been measuring them since they were toddlers. He made a mark on the wall for each of them and wrote their name and the date beside it.

"I'm the tallest!" exclaimed Alex.

"Gianna, you're not even as tall as I was when I was nine, and you're ten!" said Joy.

"Gianna is a shortie," said Alex, grinning.

Gianna's cheeks grew hot. She hated being teased for her size.

"Enough!" said Grandpa. "Come with me." He led the cousins to his garden shed. "Hold out your hands."

Grandpa placed a large white seed in Alex's hand, a smaller yellow seed in Joy's hand, and a tiny black seed in Gianna's hand.

Of course I get the tiny, unimportant seed, Gianna thought. Just like me.

Grandpa pointed to an open gardening book. "Alex, tell us about your seed."

"My seed is a lima bean," Alex said, looking at the information in the book. "They grow into plants that are fifteen inches to nine feet tall." Alex looked at the seed in his hand. "This seed is tiny to grow so big!"

"Let me see mine," said Joy, pushing Alex aside. "My seed is corn. The plants grow seven to ten feet tall. That's bigger than yours, Alex!"

Alex frowned. "But your seed is smaller than mine!"

"My seed is a mustard seed," said Gianna. "It grows a tree twenty feet tall. It produces purple fruit, and in some places people use the branches to brush their teeth."

"No way!" said Alex. "All that from a tiny seed?"

"It isn't how big the seed is that matters," said Grandpa. "What matters is what God created it to do." He smiled at the kids. "That's true for us too. The Bible says those who have faith in Jesus are new creations. He's made us new people and given us the Holy Spirit to help us do the good things He wants us to do."

Gianna thought about the tiny seed growing into an amazing tree. It wasn't unimportant after all. "If this seed can grow a tree," she said, smiling, "just imagine what we can do!"

- Tracey Eagan

How About You?
Do you ever feel like you're too small to do anything important? What matters is how big God is and what He's created you to do. If you have faith in Jesus, He has given you the Holy Spirit so you can do great things that show others His love. Just like a tiny seed can grow into a huge tree, God can use you in amazing ways as He builds His kingdom. Be content where God has placed you, and trust Him to show you how you can serve Him.

Today's Key Verse:
For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. (NLT) (Ephesians 2:10)

Today's Key Thought:
God created you to do great things

Bible Reading: Romans 5:12-13, 18-21; Colossians 2:13-14

"Dad!" Everett stared at his computer screen in dismay. "Chase just told me there's a virus in the game I downloaded! It could ruin the hard drive."

"Oh no!" Dad said. "How much damage has it done?"

Everett groaned and covered his eyes. "I don't know yet."

"What's a virus?" asked Rachel, climbing onto Dad's knee. "Isn't that what gives you the flu?"

"That's right," said Dad. "When a virus gets into your body, it can make you sick. But a different kind of virus can get into a computer, and once it does, it can spread and take control of the programs on your computer so they don't work anymore."

"I don't know how to fix this, Dad," said Everett. "Can you help me?"

"I'm not sure what to do either," said Dad. "But I have a friend who works with computers--I'll check with him." Dad smiled at Rachel. "We need to get rid of viruses as soon as possible--whether they're on the computer or in our bodies."

"Yeah. We have to take medicine to make us all better," said Rachel as Everett turned the computer off.

By the following week, the computer had been fixed and a new anti-virus program installed. "I know two kinds of viruses," announced Rachel as Everett was using the computer one evening. "The kind that makes computers sick and the kind that makes people sick."

"I know a third kind," said Dad. "Sin is like a virus that made the whole world sick. When the first people God created, Adam and Eve, disobeyed Him, sin came into the world and infected it. It took control of people's minds and hearts and makes us do selfish, wrong things instead of loving and obeying God."

"Can we get cleaned up like Everett's computer?" Rachel asked with wide eyes.

"We certainly can! We have something even better than an antivirus program. Jesus died and then rose from the dead to save the world from sin. When we trust in Him, He removes our sin and makes us new so our hearts work the way they should--it's like He gives us a new hard drive! Even though we still do wrong things sometimes, we can confess and turn away from our sin, and Jesus will forgive us and make us clean."

- Tanya Ferdinandusz

How About You?
Did you know sin is like a virus? It does more damage than a virus in your body or on your computer ever could. Sin separates us from God and affects everything we think and do. But when we trust in Jesus, He removes our sin and makes us clean! He gives us new hearts and makes us able to resist temptation and turn away from sin. And when we do give in and do something wrong, we can confess it to Him and He will forgive us.

Today's Key Verse:
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

Today's Key Thought:
Jesus removes sin

Bible Reading: Psalm 33:4-12

"Come on, Mal," called Bailey. "Mom said we could play in the attic. Let's try on some of the old clothes in the trunks up there."

The clatter of feet echoed through the halls as Bailey and Mal climbed the steep steps to the attic of the old house. Soon they had the trunks open and began trying on a variety of clothes their grandmother and mother had saved through the years. They laughed at each other as they paraded back and forth in front of a full-length mirror. "Let's go show Mom and Dad our latest fashions," said Mal.

Tipping an old hat to the back of her head, Bailey led the way as they trooped downstairs. Their parents laughed when the girls pranced into the living room.

"I wore those when I was a teenager," Mom said, pointing to the thick flip-flops on Mal's feet. "And I believe that dress belonged to my grandmother. And Bailey, that old-fashioned hat looks great with that gold purse!"

"Those styles were very popular at one time," said Dad. "Everyone wanted them--just like everyone wants certain clothing styles today."

Mom nodded. "When it comes to styles and trends, people often want the latest thing. That's fine as long as we make good choices about what we wear and don't let clothes take the place of more important things in our lives. We need to remember that our value doesn't come from what we look like or how others see us--it comes from God creating us in His image and sending His Son to die for us."

"Right," said Dad. "And you know what? Trends extend to things other than clothes. Popular books, movies, activities, and even ideas come and go, and they're not always good. We need to remember that the world changes its opinions all the time, but God never changes. He is always the same, and the truth He gives us in the Bible will never go out of style. That's why we need to trust Him to guide us and give us wisdom in how we live our lives. Though the world is constantly changing, His love and promises will always stay the same."

The girls nodded in agreement. "Come on, Bailey," said Mal. "Let's see what other things we can find in the attic."

- Geri Walcott

How About You?
Do you like to keep up with the latest fashions? What about trends like what movies or games are popular or even what people believe about certain things? Since the world we live in is always changing, it's important to seek God's wisdom in all you do. What He says in His Word, the Bible, will always be true, and the love He has for you will never change. Though people's thoughts and opinions change all the time, God will always stay the same.

Today's Key Verse:
The plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations. (NIV) (Psalm 33:11)

Today's Key Thought:
God never changes

Bible Reading: Romans 12:9-21; James 1:19-20

"Bri, I love your new pet! He is so soft and sweet!" Ella stroked her friend's chinchilla, Herman.

"A chinchilla's soft fur is one reason why they're such popular pets," said Bri. "They're native to the Andes mountains in Chile where it gets really cold."

"Remember two years ago when you kept telling everyone you wanted a porcupine for a pet?" Ella could not contain her giggles.

Bri shook her head. "What was I thinking? Chinchillas and porcupines are related, but porcupines are so prickly they don't make good pets." Bri handed Herman a seed and watched him nibble on it while holding it tightly in his tiny front paws.

There was a strange sound on the other side of Bri's closed door. "Ella, I think our brothers are up to something," Bri whispered. "Remember what we did to them last time? Evan said they'd get us back."

When Bri opened her door, she shrieked in anger. There was so much duct tape she could hardly see through to the hallway. "Mooooom!" Bri yelled over the boys laughing.

"That's what you get for starting this war," Evan taunted.

"Evan, I'm going to destroy you!" Bri roared.

"What is going on?" Mom appeared on the other side of the tape. "Boys, please take this down."

After the boys removed the tape, Mom sent Ella to get a snack and came into Bri's room. "Bri, I know you were upset, but I could hear you hollering from outside. You need to chill out."

"Mom, I can't! The boys made me so angry!"

"I know, and I'm going to have a talk with them. But you can control how you respond when people do things that make you angry. Remember Proverbs 15:1?"

"A soft answer turns away wrath," Bri muttered.

"Herman's fur is the definition of soft," Mom observed as she stroked the chinchilla. "And it's a soft answer that stops fights and heals relationships. Mean, angry words just make things worse. As Christians, we can rely on God's Spirit to help us respond with love and speak softly, even when we feel angry."

"Okay, Mom, I get it. I need to trust God to help me be chill when I want to be pokey." Bri grinned. "Did you know one of the chinchilla's relatives is a porcupine?"

Mom laughed. "Now I do! Choose to be a chinchilla, girl!"

- Savannah Coleman

How About You?
Do you ever explode in anger when someone says or does something that makes you upset? If you know Jesus, you have the Holy Spirit's power in you to help you respond to others in loving ways, even when it's hard. Rely on His power, trusting Him to get rid of any anger in your heart and fill it up with His kindness and love.

Today's Key Verse:
A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. (NKJV) (Proverbs 15:1)

Today's Key Thought:
With God's help, you can be chill

Bible Reading: Psalms 42:4-8; 73:21-26

"Maria!" Dad called. "Your aunt and uncle will be here soon. Can you come down and help with dinner?"

Maria sighed and tossed the book she was reading on the floor. The last thing she wanted to do was help with Thanksgiving dinner. It was their first Thanksgiving without Mom, and it wouldn't be the same, no matter how much food they cooked.

When Maria shuffled into the kitchen, Dad smiled at her. "Want to learn how to carve a turkey?" he asked. Maria shrugged, which Dad took to mean yes, she did.

After Dad explained what to do, Maria began slicing the turkey, but the knife wouldn't go all the way through. "Dad, this isn't cutting right, it's--it's frozen!"

Dad took the knife and tried to make a cut, but it wouldn't go any deeper than a few inches. The middle was still frozen solid. Dad groaned. "I must not have let it thaw long enough."

"Why are we even trying to cook a turkey anyway?" bellowed Maria. "Mom's gone, and it won't be the same. I don't care if people are coming, I don't want Thanksgiving!"

Maria ran to her room and collapsed onto the bed, sobbing. A few minutes later Dad came in and sat down.

"Maria, I know it's been hard for you since Mom died. When something terrible like that happens, it can take a long time to get past the anger and sadness. It's okay to feel those things, and it's important to acknowledge our feelings and work through them, because we don't want our hearts to become cold and hard like that turkey." Dad gently brushed a tear from Maria's cheek. "The turkey needed more time to thaw than I realized, but if I'd just left it in the freezer, it never would have thawed at all. Right now your heart needs to thaw, and one way to help it along is to be with your family today. We love you, and Jesus loves you, and He wants to help you heal. One way He brings that healing into your life is through people who can be there for you and share His love with you when you're hurting."

Maria lifted her head from the pillow and wiped her eyes. "Okay, Dad. I'll come to Thanksgiving." She smiled. "But we'd better hurry and order some takeout."

- Courtney Lasater

How About You?
Have you experienced something that's caused you a lot of anger and sadness? Maybe your parents divorced or a friend hurt you. Feeling angry and sad is normal, and you should let an adult know how you feel so they can help. It's important to work through those feelings so you can heal. Jesus knows how you feel, and He wants to help you. He often does that by putting people in your life who can offer their love and support. It may take time, but He can help you heal.

Today's Key Verse:
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. (NIV) (Psalm 34:18)

Today's Key Thought:
Jesus wants to help you heal