Bible Reading: Ephesians 4:29; James 3:5-10

"Look what Otis did!" Maria showed her father her soggy, torn slipper. "I scolded him and put him outside."

"I'm sorry, honey," Dad said as he took the mangled slipper. "I can see that little puppy needs a lot more training."

Mom spoke from the doorway. "Maria, Iris is on the phone for you." She held out her phone.

A few minutes later, Maria's voice boomed from the kitchen. "You always want me to do all the work, Iris. You're so lazy! I'm never doing a school project with you again."

"What was that about?" asked Mom when Maria returned her phone. "I thought Iris was your best friend."

"She…she just caught me at a bad time," mumbled Maria.

"Did your sister catch you at a bad time too?" asked Mom. "I heard you yell at her this morning."

Maria blushed. "She always bothers me when I'm tired. But I told her I was sorry." Maria brightened. "I'll call Iris back and apologize to her."

Just then Otis whined at the door. "I think Otis wants to come in and apologize too," said Dad, handing the chewed-up slipper to Maria.

Maria looked at it. "Don't let him in," she grumbled crossly. "My slipper is ruined because of him."

Dad nodded. "You know, Maria, even if you forgive Otis and let him in, it won't fix your slipper. That's mangled for good."

"I know that," said Maria. "That's why I'm mad at him!"

"Well, feelings can be mangled just like your slipper," said Dad. "Once you've said something, it really can't be taken back. You can be sorry and say so, but the words have already hurt. Often there is no way to repair the damage."

"That's right," said Mom. "There are several people you need to apologize to, but even if they forgive you, you've still hurt their feelings. You need to be more careful to control your tongue and not say hurtful things in the first place."

"But I…I don't know how," said Maria.

"Think before you speak," said Dad. "When you feel angry, count to ten before you say anything. Most of all, remember that Jesus gives you the ability to love others the way He does. Trust Him to help you speak in love, not anger."

-Harriett A. Durrell

How About You?
Do you say things you don't mean? It's so easy to do. The Bible has a lot to say about how much trouble your tongue can cause. It also gives the cure--let the love of Christ in your heart control what you say. If you've had trouble controlling your tongue, apologize to those you've hurt. Then use your words to encourage others and solve problems in a loving way.

Today's Key Verse:
The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. (NIV) (Proverbs 12:18)

Today's Key Thought:
Use your words in a loving way

Bible Reading: 1 Corinthians 10:11-13

"Sarah, Lynn, you need to start packing," Mom said. "The hurricane has turned and is heading this way. They're evacuating the barrier islands."

Sarah quickly jumped into action and started packing, but Lynn began to cry. "I'm scared!"

"It's going to be okay, Lynn," said Mom. "We'll be gone before the storm hits. We'll follow the escape plan and head north to Grandma and Grandpa's house."

Once the car was packed and the house was boarded up, they got on the road. The traffic leaving the islands was already backed up for miles. It was going to take a while to reach the mainland, and from there it would take another four hours to get to Grandma and Grandpa's house. Good thing Lynn and Sarah packed a lot of toys.

When they finally arrived, the girls gave each of their grandparents a big hug and then ran into the backyard to play. It felt good to be out of the car and running around again.

The next day when Grandpa was watching the news, Sarah and Lynn saw the damage the storm was doing as it ripped through the islands. Then it showed footage of people being rescued from rooftops.

"I thought everyone had to leave the islands," Sarah said.

"They were supposed to, but some chose to stay," said Grandpa.

Lynn frowned. "Why didn't they escape when they had the chance?"

"Some probably chose not to heed the warnings. Others probably didn't have a way to leave." Grandpa turned off the TV. "Did you know there's one situation where we always have the option to escape? The Bible says that whenever we're tempted to sin, God provides a way out."

"He gives us an escape plan out of temptation?" asked Sarah.

Grandpa nodded. "We have a choice to make whenever we're tempted to do something that's wrong. Do we choose God's escape plan and use the power He gives us to say no to sin, or do we choose to give in to the temptation and then face the consequences of our bad choices?"

"Well, I sure am glad Mom and Dad got us safely off the island before the hurricane hit," Sarah said.

"Me too!" said Lynn. "And next time I'm tempted to do something wrong, I want to follow God's escape plan."

-Lisa Fuller

How About You?
Have you ever been tempted to do something that you knew was wrong? God always provides a way of escape for us when we are tempted to sin. If you know Jesus as your Savior, He has given you the power to resist temptation and say no to sin. Trust Him to show you a way out, then be willing to follow His plan.

Today's Key Verse:
God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out. (NLT) (1 Corinthians 10:13)

Today's Key Thought:
Choose to escape temptation

Bible Reading: Proverbs 3:5-6; Romans 8:28-32

"Hi, Mom," said Clara as she walked into her mom's hospital room. It seemed so strange to see Mom in a hospital bed. "You feeling okay?"

Mom nodded. "They only did tests today. The surgery isn't until tomorrow, but don't worry. I'm in very good hands." She pointed to a bag Clara was carrying. "What did you bring?"

"I brought a puzzle." Clara dumped the pieces onto Mom's bedside table. "It's just a small one, and I figured we could put it together."

"Good idea!" said Mom, and they began searching for edge pieces.

As Clara worked, so many questions filled her mind. Will Mom's surgery be really painful for her? Will it make her well? And the scariest question of all… Could Mom die during the surgery? But she didn't want to worry her mother, so she kept her thoughts to herself.

"I can't figure out where this piece goes," Clara said, frowning.

Mom smiled at her. "I'm glad you brought a puzzle. It's kind of like my life right now. Being sick and needing surgery is like that piece of the puzzle. You don't know how it fits in the picture, and I don't know where this experience fits into the picture of my life. But knowing that God promises to work everything for good and seeing how He's already put some other pieces of my life together helps me trust Him now too."

"What do you mean?" asked Clara.

"Well, one example is the way God worked when Dad lost his job," said Mom. "We couldn't understand how that would fit in the picture of our lives. Then God provided a job for him in this city where Dr. Campbell practices. He's the best doctor in the country for the surgery I need."

"God is taking care of you, right?" said Clara slowly. "And He'll take care of you tomorrow, won't He?"

Mom nodded. "Even if the surgery isn't successful, I know He'll take care of me because I belong to Jesus and will spend eternity with Him." She squeezed Clara's hand. "I don't understand how this fits into my life, but He does, and I trust Him to put the picture together for me. Will you trust Him too?"

Clara nodded. She was finally able to give her mother a little smile.

-Katherine R. Adams

How About You?
Are there events in your life that you don't understand? Take comfort knowing Jesus is with you in hard times and promises to work everything out, even though you may not understand it now. God sees the total picture of your life, and He's fitting the pieces--the events in your life--into just the right places. Even when bad things happen, you can trust Him to help you through them and bring good out of them.

Today's Key Verse:
We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. (CSB) (Romans 8:28)

Today's Key Thought:
Trust God to work for your good

Bible Reading: John 10:27-29

"You look sad, Kevin. What are you thinking about?" Mom finished drying her hands on the kitchen towel she was holding and hung it back up on the rack.

"Well…" Kevin gulped. "Remember how I got saved in Sunday school a few months ago? Well, I think I might not be saved anymore! I keep doing bad things. I disobey you all the time. I lied to my teacher about my homework. I said something mean to Justin when we were playing that video game the other day. Justin says I'm going to lose my salvation if I keep doing all these bad things!"

Mom was quiet for a moment, then she said, "Let's go to the park."

Kevin wiped his nose on his sleeve and slid off the couch. He grabbed his battered stuffed kangaroo and headed to the park with his mom.

"Better leave Joey with me," Mom said when they got to the park. "You don't want to lose him on the playground."

Kevin reluctantly handed his kangaroo over to his mom for safekeeping. Then he ran off to play.

Later, at home, Kevin started crying. "Mom! I can't find Joey anywhere! I think I lost him at the park. Now he's gone forever and I'll never see him again!"

"You didn't lose him. I was keeping him for you, remember?" She pulled the stuffed animal out of her bag and handed him to Kevin.

Kevin grabbed Joey and squished him to his chest. He was so happy his favorite little friend wasn't lost!

"Kevin," Mom said, "remember how you were asking about losing your salvation? This is a good illustration of how salvation works. When you trusted Jesus as your Savior, He forgave your sins and gave you eternal life as a child of God. That's what salvation is--the promise that we have been freed from sin's power and will live with God forever as His people. If you had to keep your salvation safe all by yourself, you would lose it. But Jesus not only gives us salvation for free--He is also the one who keeps it for us! You can't lose your salvation because Jesus is holding it for you."

-Kristi Van Winkle

How About You?
Are you afraid of losing your salvation? Do you worry that if you do too many bad things you won't be a Christian anymore? Your salvation is not based on anything you do--it's a gift from God, and you don't ever have to worry about losing it! You're God's child now, and nothing will change that. When you do something that's wrong, He will forgive you and help you do better. Jesus is the one who holds your salvation, and He promises to keep it safe.

Today's Key Verse:
I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. (CSB) (John 10:28 )

Today's Key Thought:
Jesus holds your salvation

Bible Reading: Romans 12:9-18; Galatians 4:6-7

"Mom, who do I look like?" asked Avia while her mother braided her hair.

"Who do you look like?" repeated Mom. "Well, let's see." Mom gently tugged on Avia's hair. "Duck," she said.

"I look like a duck?" Avia laughed, knowing Mom meant for her to tip her head so she could braid the hair at the bottom of her neck.

Mom laughed too, then took a long look at both their faces in the mirror. "Actually, that's an easy question. You look more like your father--more so every day." Avia's father had died when she was very small. "You remind me of your dad so much. You not only resemble him in appearance; you act like him too. You eat just as fast as he did," Mom teased as they walked to the kitchen to fix breakfast.

"Isn't it weird that I hardly knew Dad, but now I look like him and act like him?" Avia asked as she set the table. "You always say I like the same foods he did--asparagus and beets and even sandwiches with pickles and peanut butter on them! I wonder how come I'm so much like him when he's not here for me to copy?"

"I believe you do those things naturally because Dad is a part of you. He's passed on some of his characteristics to you--like similar taste buds," said Mom as she poured apple juice. "You also act like him in other ways because you've heard stories about him and have started doing some of the same things he used to do--like seeing how many old cars you can spot on a road trip." She smiled at Avia. "It's kind of like what happens when someone becomes a child of God."

"You mean because He's our heavenly Father, but we don't see Him--just like I don't see Dad?" asked Avia.

Mom nodded. "We don't see God, but we act like Him because the Holy Spirit--who is God--lives in us. We read about God in the Bible and see glimpses of Him in the lives of other Christians. And we talk about what He does in our lives." Mom squeezed Avia's hand. "With God's help, we become more and more like our heavenly Father every day!"

-Dawn E. Maloney

How About You?
Can others tell that God is your heavenly Father by the way you live? Do your words and actions make it easy for people to identify you as a child of God? Today's Bible reading lists a number of things that describe how God's children should live. Trust the Lord to develop these characteristics in your life so others will see your heavenly Father in you.

Today's Key Verse:
Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. (NLT) (Ephesians 5:1)

Today's Key Thought:
Live like a child of God