Bible Reading: Psalm 34:8-14

"Yummy!" Sophie squealed as she popped another blueberry into her mouth.

Amber giggled. "Sophie is having so much fun."

"When you were little like your sister, you used to do the same thing," Mimi said. "There's just something special about picking blueberries for the first time."

"And picking them off your blueberry bushes--well, that makes them taste even sweeter!" Amber added.

Amber continued picking blueberries with her sister and grandmother until their baskets were full. "Now," said Mimi, "let's go inside and make some blueberry pancakes!"

Once inside, everyone washed their hands, and Mimi got out all the ingredients to make the pancakes.

"I help! I help!" Sophie said as she knelt on a chair next to the counter.

Mimi smiled and said, "You can help stir the batter. Amber, would you start adding in some of the ingredients?"

Amber mixed in the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt as Mimi read off the recipe. Then Mimi poured in the egg and milk. "Okay, Sophie, you can start stirring."

Sophie began to slowly stir all the ingredients. She was extra careful not to splash any out of the bowl.

Once the dry ingredients had been mixed in well, Amber dumped in the blueberries, and Mimi heated up the griddle.

"These pancakes are delicious, Mimi," Amber said as she ate one a few minutes later.

"The blueberries are really sweet this year, and that makes the pancakes extra yummy," Mimi said. "You know, that reminds me of a verse in the Bible. Psalm 34:8 says, 'Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!'"

"What does that verse mean, Mimi?" Amber asked.

"Well, remember how excited Sophie got today when she tasted the sweet blueberries for the first time? That's what knowing God can be like for us. The more we get to know Jesus through the truth of His Word, the Bible, the more we discover His goodness and love for us and know we can always trust Him."

"More pancakes! More pancakes!" Sophie called out.

Mimi laughed. "I think I know a little someone who has tasted the goodness of blueberries!"

=Lisa Fuller

How About You?
Have you personally experienced God's goodness and love in your life? First you need to trust Jesus as your Savior. (See "Have You Heard the Good News?" on page 102.) Then dig deep into God's Word and let His words take root in your heart. In doing so, you will discover how good God is and how much He loves you. He wants you to taste the sweetness of knowing Him!

Today's Key Verse:
How sweet your words taste to me; they are sweeter than honey. (NLT) (Psalm 119:103)

Today's Key Thought:
Get to know Jesus

Bible Reading: Jeremiah 17:9-10; Matthew 23:23-28

"Half of these nuts aren't any good," complained Gracie, who had been cracking walnuts for the dessert her mother was making. "They're black and dried up on the inside." She picked up a nut and showed it to her mother.

"Don't bother cracking the bad ones," said her brother Calvin, who had just come into the kitchen. "Dump those and use the good ones."

Gracie scowled at him. "You can't tell which ones are good. They all look fine on the outside."

"I bet I can tell," Calvin said, shaking one. "This one's good." Gracie took it and cracked it open. Sure enough, it was good. "See," said Calvin, grinning. "I'll pick them out for you." He chose another one. "This one's good too." Gracie cracked it open, but it was dried up. Calvin frowned and handed her another nut. It wasn't good either.

"You can't tell any better than I can," declared Gracie, taking a nut Calvin had rejected. "I'll try this one." She was delighted to find that it was good.

"Let's split them up and see who can find the most good ones," said Calvin.

Gracie laughed. "Okay."

As they ate the dessert that evening, Gracie told Dad about the trouble with the walnuts. "Those nuts sound like people," said Dad.

Calvin's eyes twinkled. "Are you saying we're nuts?"

Dad laughed. "What I mean is that people can appear to be Christians. We may look good on the outside, but what would others see if they could look inside at our hearts and minds? The outside doesn't always match the inside. Jesus said the religious people in his day, the Pharisees, were like that. They appeared to be good, but they really were hypocrites."

Mom nodded. "You kids had trouble telling which nuts were good, and others can't really tell for sure if our hearts are in the right place. But God knows. He sees through the shell and knows what each of us is like on the inside. He knows whether we've truly trusted Jesus to save us from sin and give us a new, clean heart."

Gracie nodded. "We can't fool God."

-Hazel W. Marett

How About You?
Do you go to church, treat people well, and avoid bad things? That's good, and doing those things may make others think you're a Christian. But are you really? People only see what's on the outside, but God can see what's in your heart. Doing good things can't clean your heart of sin--only Jesus can do that. Trust Him as your Savior and He will make you clean. (To learn more, click the "Good News!" button in the right column of this page.)

Today's Key Verse:
On the outside you seem righteous to people, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. (CSB) (Matthew 23:28)

Today's Key Thought:
Be clean inside

Bible Reading: Matthew 6:25-33

"Mom, I'm scared," Presley whispered in the middle of the night. "I can't sleep. I keep thinking about Isabel and her car accident. What does intensive care unit mean?"

Mom offered her a much-needed hug. "Presley, have you not been able to sleep because of this? It's scary, isn't it? Intensive care unit means she's getting extra care at the hospital right now."

"I woke up wondering if I will ever see Isabel again," Presley said. "I would miss her so much."

Presley's mom went to the kitchen and came back with two glasses of milk. "I know this is really hard. I've been praying for Isabel and her family ever since Pastor Jim called. The doctors are doing all they can, but it's possible she may not survive."

Tears welled up in Presley's eyes. "How could God let this happen?"

Mom shook her head. "Some things we just don't know. The best thing we can do is trust God."

"But how?" asked Presley. "I just get a sick feeling in my stomach whenever I think about it."

"Here." Mom picked up a stack of textbooks Presley brought home from school that day. "Hold these in your arms. How would you like to carry these books for days, weeks, months, maybe even years?"

Presley felt the weight of the books sink into her arms. "I'd get tired of carrying them. They're heavy."

"Don't you think worry is the same way? We can choose to carry our fear and worry, but we get tired of carrying it because it's so heavy. Or we can let God carry it for us, knowing He loves us so much that He sent His own Son, Jesus, to set us free from sin and make us His children." As she said this, she took the books from Presley, relieving her of the heavy weight. "See? How does that feel?"

"Much better," Presley replied with a small smile. "I guess I need to trust God to carry my worry about Isabel for me."

"We'll pray together," said Mom as she tucked Presley back under the covers. "And then you get some sleep. Maybe we'll be able to go visit Isabel in the hospital tomorrow."

-Meredith Brower

How About You?
Do you ever get scared or worried about bad things that could happen? God knows that worry is a heavy burden that's too hard to carry by yourself. That's why He tells us to give our worries and fears to Him. Pray and give your worries to God. He loves you and is more than happy to carry them for you.

Today's Key Verse:
Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. (NLT) (1 Peter 5:7)

Today's Key Thought:
Give your worries to God

Bible Reading: Ephesians 1:3; Hebrews 4:13-16

"Happy third birthday, Jake," Elizabeth said, handing her younger brother his present. It was beautifully wrapped up in superhero paper. "Hope you like it."

They were having a party outside in the garden for him with some families from church. Jake glanced up before giving a loud shriek and yelling. He left the package on the table and ran inside. Dad followed him.

"What have I done? Why doesn't he want my gift?" Elizabeth asked, blushing. "I saved up my pocket money to buy him something special. Now he's crying and run off!"

"Darling, you haven't done anything," Mom said. "He's tired. You know he doesn't like change. It's all been too much for him having so many people around. It's not your fault."

Elizabeth couldn't concentrate on the conversations around her. Her thoughts rattled with the memory of Jake and his outburst. Why did I even bother? she thought crossly, taking the unopened gift and throwing it on a chair. Soon Dad calmed Jake down and brought him outside again.

Elizabeth struggled to taste the party food she usually loved and was glad when all the visitors had left. Dad took Jake upstairs to get ready for his bedtime story and prayers.

"Are you okay, sweetheart?" Mom asked, picking up the unopened gift. "Dad and I are both proud of you and your efforts to make this a special day for your brother."

"I'm disappointed, I guess." Elizabeth sighed. "I know feeling overwhelmed is part of Jake's condition, but I wish he'd opened my gift. I was so excited about it."

"I know, sweetheart. Your brother is tired, but tomorrow he'll be refreshed and still have your present to look forward to. I'm sure he'll treasure it." Mom gave her a hug. "Life can feel overwhelming for all of us sometimes, but like Jake, we still have wonderful gifts from God that we can enjoy. He fills our lives with blessings, and no matter what we're going through, we can always enjoy the greatest gift of all--the love and presence of Jesus, who understands how we feel and promises to help us through our struggles."

Elizabeth smiled as she thought about the gift from God she could enjoy every day--a relationship with His Son, Jesus.

-Cindy Lee

How About You?
Do you ever feel overwhelmed by what's going on in your life? Even in the midst of struggles, you can enjoy the many blessings God wants to give you. Out of love, God sent His Son, Jesus, to repair the damaged relationship we had with Him. Because of that gift, we never have to face our struggles alone. Jesus is always with us, and He brings new blessings into our lives every day.

Today's Key Verse:
Be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age. (NLT) (Matthew 28:20 )

Today's Key Thought:
Enjoy God's blessings

Bible Reading: John 9:1-7

Seth crept into the dark room. He switched on the lamp and waved his arms back and forth above the crib. Leah didn't notice him. She was blind.

"Hi, baby," he whispered. She turned her tiny head toward the sound of his voice. He patted her hand through the bars.

"What are you doing in here?" asked Mom, coming in from the hallway.

"I'm trying to make Leah see me," Seth said.

Mom spread a quilt on the floor. "I'm not sure she'll ever be able to see you, Seth. But she can hear your voice and feel your touch."

Seth sighed. "Why did God give her eyes that don't work?"

Mom lifted Leah out of her crib and laid her on the quilt beside Seth. "We don't always understand the ways of the Lord, but we know that He can use the bad things that happen to us for good."

"Blind eyes aren't good," said Seth.

"The Bible tells a story about a man born blind like Leah," said Mom. "People questioned Jesus about that man's eyes too." Leah gripped Seth's finger as Mom continued. "Jesus said the man was born blind so the world could see the great love and awesome power of God." Mom stroked Leah's cheek. "Then Jesus healed the man and he was no longer blind."

"Is Jesus going to heal Leah?" asked Seth.

"I pray for that every day," said Mom. "As we wait for His answer, we can pray that Leah will hear God's voice and that He will give her special eyes to see Him with her heart."

"I don't need eyes in my heart because my other eyes can see, right, Mom?"

"Everyone needs heart-eyes," said Mom. "We are all blind like Leah until we listen to God's voice and turn to Jesus."

"My Sunday school teacher says the Bible is God's voice," said Seth.

"She's right," said Mom. "God's Word tells us why we need Jesus to save us from sin. When God opens our eyes to its truth, we can see His great love for us."

Seth jumped up and bolted from the room. He returned with his Bible and plopped onto the quilt. "I think Leah will like the rainbow story."

Leah turned her face toward Seth as he read God's Word.

-Trine Grillo

How About You?
Are you able to see with the eyes of your heart? Seeing with your heart-eyes is more important that seeing with your physical eyes, because that's the only way to see God's great love for you. The Bible is God's Word, and it tells us who God is and what He did to save us. As you read and listen to His Word, trust God to open the eyes of your heart and help you hear His voice.

Today's Key Verse:
I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you. (NIV) (Ephesians 1:18)

Today's Key Thought:
Listen to God's voice