Bible Reading: Isaiah 49:8-16; Matthew 12:46-50

"Okay, kids," Miss Long, the substitute teacher, said as she passed cards out to Mihai's class. "Your task is to create a card for your mom or stepmom thanking her for all the wonderful things she does for you."

Exclamations of delight erupted from everyone except Mihai. Staring at the blank card, his insides churned. He clenched his fists, wanting to tear it up into tiny pieces. It's not fair, he thought, swallowing the angry tears down. If Mrs. Flint was here, this never would have happened.

Looking over at his best friend Isaiah, he sighed. Mihai's mom had left five years ago, leaving a note telling them she was returning to her birth country and not to contact her. They hadn't heard from her since. Dad no longer spoke about it.

"Mihai, you haven't started yet," Miss Long said, patrolling the classroom.

"He hasn't got a mother," Isaiah whispered. "Well, not one living at home."

"Oh! I'm sorry," Miss Long said, pausing for a moment. "Well, is there another lady in your family who cares for you that you could thank?"

Mihai thought about it. An image of Auntie Sue popped up in his mind. She was always kind to Mihai and remembered his birthday. She didn't have any children, but she had helped heal some of the hurt his mother had caused the family.

Mihai smiled at Mrs. Long. "Yes," he said, and set to work.

Carefully, he drew a picture of some of his aunt's favorite things--tulips and Labrador retrievers--before writing words of gratitude inside.

"Thank you, Miss Long," he said later. "I realized I've taken Auntie Sue for granted. She's done a lot for me and my family, and I want to thank her."

When Mihai handed Auntie Sue the card on Mother's Day, she opened it and blinked back tears of happiness. "Thank you, Mihai," she whispered. "Sometimes Mother's Day makes me feel sad that I never had children of my own, but I'm so thankful I have a wonderful nephew who has reminded me I'm not forgotten." She gave Mihai a hug. "God never forgets His children, and I'm so glad we're both part of His family and can remind each other of that."

-Cindy Lee

How About You?
Do you have a positive female role model in your life? Maybe you don't have a mom and you feel sadness when moms are celebrated at Mother's Day. Know that our loving Father loves you very much. The Bible says all those who trust in Jesus are part of His family, and He never forgets His children. He provides us with love and care through our Christian family. Who are you thankful for this Mother's Day for reminding you of God's love?

Today's Key Verse:
Can a woman forget her nursing child? Can she have no pity on the son to whom she gave birth? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you. (NLV) ( Isaiah 49:15)

Today's Key Thought:
Be thankful for female role models

Bible Reading: 1 Peter 1:3-5

Joey liked to visit Great-Uncle Hank's dairy farm. He liked to work in the barn and swing on ropes in the hayloft. He liked to ride on the tractor. But most of all, he liked to work with Uncle Hank on an old car in the shed behind the tractor barn.

Uncle Hank enjoyed restoring old cars, and now he was patiently working to restore another one to its original condition. First, it had been taken apart piece by piece. Then each piece had been cleaned. Worn parts had been repaired or replaced. The old paint had been stripped off the body, the rust removed, and a new coat of paint applied. Now the work was almost done. As Uncle Hank put the engine back together, Joey polished the car until it shone.

As they were working on the car one day, Uncle Hank turned to Joey. "How would you like to have this car?" he asked. Joey grinned, and his eyes lit up. Uncle Hank smiled. "I can see that you like it as much as I do, and someday it will be yours. It's going to be your inheritance from me."

That evening, Joey excitedly told his parents about Uncle Hank's decision. "What a nice thing for your great-uncle to do," Mom said.

Dad nodded. "It certainly is."

"Yeah! That's probably the best thing I'll ever get," said Joey. "I don't know anybody else who would leave me such a nice inheritance." He grinned at his dad. "Except maybe you and Mom."

Dad smiled back at him. "Actually, there's an even better inheritance waiting for all of us who know Jesus as our Savior. God promises that all who trust in Jesus Christ will someday enjoy all the blessings of eternal life with Him. One day He will resurrect Christians who have died from the dead and make everything new, and we'll live with Him forever in a world free of sin and death."

"Wow," said Joey. "That's even more exciting than owning Uncle Hank's car someday! I'm glad Uncle Hank knows Jesus and will get that inheritance too."

-Tom VandenBerg

How About You?
Is there an inheritance waiting in heaven for you? There is if you've trusted Jesus Christ as your Savior. Jesus wants those who know Him to spend eternity with Him. He died for our sins and then rose from the dead so we could be free of sin and death and live with Him forever. Trust in Jesus and look forward to the inheritance He has for you. (To learn more, click the "Good News!" button in the right column of this page.)

Today's Key Verse:
We have a priceless inheritance--an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. (NLT) (1 Peter 1:4 )

Today's Key Thought:
Receive an inheritance from God

Bible Reading: Psalm 18:27-33

Lia couldn't stop thinking about her ballet practice earlier that afternoon as she followed her mom through the zoo. I'll never be able to do a high demi pointe, she thought, sighing.

Mom stopped when they reached a habitat filled with rock formations. "Here we are! These animals I want you to see live in Africa among these types of rocks called kopje."

Lia read the sign. "Klipspringers? That's a fun name--oh look, Mom! There's one right there!" Lia and Mom watched in fascination as the two-foot-tall dwarf antelope leapt gracefully from one kopje rock to the next.

"Look at how tiny their hooves are--it says here they're the diameter of a dime. I can just imagine a little pink tutu on that klipspringer and itty bitty ballet shoes!" Lia squealed in delight.

Mom smiled. "Did you notice how they stand?"

"Yeah, it kind of looks like they're standing on their toes, even though they have hooves. It's so impressive that they can jump and land on a section of rock no bigger than the size of my hand!"

Mom nodded. "God provided the klipspringer with everything it needs to live in this type of habitat. It has quite a few predators in the wild, but living among these rocks helps them stay safer. It reminds me of how God is our Rock. We can take refuge in Jesus because He has saved us from sin and promises to always be with us."

Lia smiled. "I understand why you wanted me to see these klipspringers, Mom. When I go to ballet next week, I'll try to remember that God has given me everything I need in Him--even if I can't stand up on my toes as well as these cuties!"

"Did you know that there are even a few Bible verses that talk about deer's hooves?" asked Mom. "In the book of Psalms, David writes about how God shields us when we take refuge in Him and gives us His strength. He says God made his feet like the feet of a deer and enabled him to stand on the heights."

"That's really awesome, Mom!" Lia moved her feet through the five ballet positions. "Even when I feel like I've fallen short in ballet, I'm God's child forever, and that's something I can never lose."

-Savannah Coleman

How About You?
Do you ever feel like you don't have what it takes to navigate the hard places in your life? If you are a child of God, He has promised to give you His strength when you feel weak, His presence when you feel alone, His love with no strings attached. Let Him be your Rock. Trust Him to provide you with everything you need and to help you stand firm in His love when you face difficulties.

Today's Key Verse:
Who is the Rock except our God? It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he causes me to stand on the heights. (NIV) (Psalm 18:31-33)

Today's Key Thought:
Stand strong in God's love

Bible Reading: Romans 5:1-5; 8:14-19

Lia threw her ballet shoes into the back seat of the car and slid in with a sigh.

"Practice went that well, huh?" Mom gave Lia a sympathetic glance before pulling away from the curb.

"Mom, I want to quit--I keep falling short in my high demi pointe! Every time I try to raise up higher on my toes, my legs feel all wobbly. Today I fell, and Cathy laughed at me! She does all her moves perfectly. It's not fair!"

"Lia, you've got to remember that Cathy has been in ballet for years and this is only your sixth month. She shouldn't have laughed at you, but you need to focus on what you have accomplished and how far you've come."

Scowling, Lia scrunched farther down in her seat. She tried to stop the tears from filling her eyes. "I just feel so useless sometimes--like everyone is better than me and more talented."

"I think everyone feels that way at some point," said Mom. "However, you can't let how you feel or other people's skill levels deter you from something you have a passion for. I want you to finish out the year, and then we can reevaluate if you want to continue ballet."

"I really do like ballet," Lia said. "But what if I don't get any better?"

Mom smiled at her. "Then remember whose child you are."

Lia rolled her eyes. "Yours, obviously."

Mom laughed. "Yes, but I'm talking about you being God's child. Whenever you feel inadequate, remember that He loves you regardless of what you can or can't do. Do you remember the verse we read in church about how God pours out His love on His children?"

"Yes, and Pastor Andy talked about how we don't need to live in fear because Jesus did what we couldn't do--He lived a perfect life and then died and rose again to make us right with God." Lia gazed out her window quizzically. "Mom, I thought we were going home--why are we at the zoo?"

"Impromptu field trip! I just thought of an animal you need to see that will encourage you to stand strong even when you feel like you're falling short. Come on!"

Lia grinned. "Now you've really thought of everything!"

-Savannah Coleman

How About You?
Do you ever feel like nothing you do is good enough? God has given everyone talents, but it often takes hard work and time when you want to improve in certain areas. When you're feeling defeated about not being as good at something as you would like to be, take comfort in the fact that you are God's beloved child. You never have to work for this privilege--you simply belong to Him because you trust in Jesus, who shed His precious blood for you.

Today's Key Verse:
See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! (NIV) (1 John 3:1)

Today's Key Thought:
God's love for you never falls short

Bible Reading: Psalms 25:8; 32:8-11

After supper one evening, Caden helped clear the table and then covered it with old newspapers. "I'm going to work on my new model car," he said. He grinned as he took it out of the box. "Just look at all those pieces! And these details are awesome!"

Caden began working, but it wasn't long before he went looking for his father. "Can you help me with my model car, Dad?" he asked.

Dad looked up from his computer. "Sure, but can you manage it by yourself until I finish what I'm working on?"

"I'll try," Caden replied. But when Dad came to help him a little later, almost nothing had been done.

"What's the problem, buddy?" asked Dad.

Caden sighed. "I don't understand how everything is supposed to fit together."

Dad took the instruction sheet. "Okay," he said after glancing at it, "let's figure it out together." They got to work and soon were busy reading instructions, finding pieces, and fitting them to one another.

After a while, Caden's mom reminded him that he needed to do his homework. "Okay, and I need to learn a verse for Bible club tomorrow too," said Caden. He sighed. "I like Bible club, but it takes up a lot of time." He turned to his dad. "Thanks for helping. I never would have gotten this far without you. I didn't understand what the sheet was saying until you walked me through it."

Dad nodded. "Then trying to put this model together without my help would be a little like trying to live the Christian life without help from other Christians," he said. "That's something to remember as you learn your verse. Your Bible club teacher and our pastor and Sunday school teachers all help us understand the truth of the Bible. They help us understand the gospel--the good news that Jesus died and rose again to save us and give us eternal life--and how we should live as God's children. We need to remember to thank the Lord for them."

Caden thought about it. "I guess you're right," he said. "There are lots of things in the Bible that I don't understand by myself." He grinned. "And you and Mom help too."

-Dean Kelley

How About You?
Do you thank God for those who help you understand His Word, the Bible? He wants you to learn His ways. One method of doing that is to read the Bible for yourself. But God also provides godly men and women who can help you understand passages that are difficult for you. Listen to them, learn from them, and thank God for them. Let them help you discover what God is telling you.

Today's Key Verse:
Teach me Your way, O Lord. (NKJV) (Psalm 27:11)

Today's Key Thought:
Thank God for Christian teachers