Bible Reading: Galatians 5:22-23; Ephesians 4:1-2; 2 Timothy 2:23-25

Gracie sat down on the couch next to her mother. They both laughed as three-year-old Maggie chased their new kitten around the living room. "Come here, Kitty! Come here!" Maggie yelled, holding out a treat, but the kitten darted away.

Gracie sighed. "Mom, I don't know what to do about Andrea. She always complains about her grades, but she hardly ever does homework. I finally told her to stop whining and spend more time studying. She got upset, and now she won't talk to me."

"I'm not surprised," said Mom.

"But why?" asked Gracie. "I'm just trying to help!"

"Yes, but if you said it to her the way you did just now, it probably didn't sound like help. She may have felt it was an attack."

Just then Maggie joined them with the unaccepted cat treat still in her hand, crying in frustration. "Gracie, why don't you show Maggie how to give the treat to the kitten?" said Mom.

"Okay." Gracie took her little sister by the hand and showed her how to approach the kitten in a gentle, non-threatening way. "Move slow and speak softly," Gracie said. Crouching low, she quietly called the kitten and showed him the treat. He slowly came closer and finally felt comfortable enough to take it.

Maggie sat on the floor and petted the kitten while Gracie returned to the couch.

"Good job," said Mom. "You needed to approach the kitten gently. And that reminds me of your problem with Andrea. Can you think of a way you could do that with her?"

Gracie thought for a moment as she watched the kitten. "Well, I could ask her to forgive me for the way I talked to her," she said. "And, um…I can offer to help her with homework and help her study before our tests."

"I think that's a great idea," Mom said. "The Bible tells us a soft answer calms anger. Remember that since you trust in Jesus, you can always respond to others with love and gentleness because you have the Holy Spirit inside you. Trust Him to help you use a gentle approach with Andrea. When she sees how much her friendship means to you, I think your problem will be solved."

-Sarah Vile

How About You?
How do you respond to people when they say or do something you don't like? Harsh words often stir up anger and lead to arguments and hurt feelings, but a gentle approach can smooth things over and help prevent a fight. When you feel like snapping at someone, trust God to help you be considerate of their feelings and respond in a patient, gentle way instead.

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:
Say things gently

Bible Reading: Matthew 7:21-27; Romans 10:9-10

"Look, there's a ladybird!" cried Olive.

Jocelyn dropped her doll on the grass and looked up at the sky. "Where? I don't see any birds--or a lady either! Besides Mom, I mean." She smiled at her mother.

Olive laughed. "A ladybird isn't a bird--or a lady." She pointed to a small red and black creature crawling its way up the stem of a plant. "That's a ladybird."

Jocelyn stared at it. "That's a bug!" She placed her hands on her hips. "Why is it called a ladybird when it's not a bird at all? That doesn't make any sense!" She shook her head and picked up her doll again.

"Most people around here call it a ladybug," said Mom. "That name fits it better, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, I guess," said Olive. "My teacher calls it a ladybird, but she moved here from England, and sometimes they have different names for things there."

"I can think of another creature with a name that doesn't really fit," said Mom. "What did Dad show you last night?"

"Fireflies!" said Olive. "He said they aren't flies at all. They're beetles."

"That's right," said Mom. "Sometimes people use names for themselves that don't match what they really are either. For example, we can call ourselves Christians, but that doesn't make us Christians."

Jocelyn tilted her head. "But we are Christians!"

"How do you know?" asked Mom. "Does saying so make you one?"

"No. I'm a Christian because Jesus died for me and I trusted Him to save me, and He did!" Jocelyn confidently replied.

"I get it!" said Olive. "Calling this insect a ladybird doesn't make it a bird, and calling that beetle a firefly doesn't turn it into a fly. And calling myself a Christian doesn't make me one. The only way we can become Christians is by trusting in Jesus."

Mom nodded. "When we trust Him as our Savior, He forgives our sins and puts His Spirit in our hearts. That's how a person becomes a Christian."

Jocelyn bent down close to the ladybird. "I'm not like you!" she declared. "You go by a name that isn't what you are. But I don't just go by the name Christian. I really am one!"

-Tanya Ferdinandusz

How About You?
Are you a Christian? Have you recognized that you're a sinner and can only be saved through Jesus, who died for your sins and then rose from the dead? Trusting in Him is the only way you can become a Christian. Don't be a Christian in name only. Trust Him as your Savior today. (To learn more, click the "Good News!" button in the right column of this page.)

Today's Key Verse:
As many as received Him [Jesus], to them He gave the right to become children of God. (NKJV) (John 1:12)

Today's Key Thought:
Trust Jesus to become a Christian

Bible Reading: Romans 12:3-8; Ephesians 2:10

Aubrey picked up her basket (Or what was intended to be a basket, she thought glumly) from the craft table on her way out. She'd just finished her morning classes at her weekly homeschool co-op. Now she and the other families in the group would gather at a nearby park for lunch and playtime. Aubrey looked forward to this day each week.

But today felt different. As Aubrey met her stepmother at their car, she sighed sadly.

"What's up, honey?" Gina asked as Aubrey tossed her backpack in the trunk.

"Just look at my basket!" Aubrey said, holding up the item she'd labored over during crafts class that day. "All I had to do was weave the cord in and out of the frame. That's all I needed to do to create a basket, which I was planning to give Grammy for her birthday. But I couldn't make the cord stay in place. Look, Gina!"

Aubrey's stepmom gently took Aubrey's creation in her hands and examined the cord that had slipped down to the bottom of the basket, leaving a bare, empty frame with a sloppy mess wrapped around the bottom.

"Wait 'til you see Claire's! It's perfect. She's better at everything than I am." Aubrey and Gina climbed into the car and headed toward the park.

"Aubrey, I know you're disappointed about your craft. But it's not true that Claire's better at everything. God has given everyone different abilities. And because you've trusted in Jesus and are God's child, you can use those gifts to build others up and point them to Him. You're better at some skills, even if you haven't discovered them yet."

After parking the car, Aubrey and Gina grabbed their lunch bags and walked toward the picnic benches at the park.

"I might not be good at crafts, but I'm good at other things. Is that what you mean?" Aubrey asked.

"Exactly!" Gina answered. "And I wouldn't give up on crafts yet either--sometimes finding our talents requires a lot of learning and effort. Keep learning what you can in your classes and trust God to help you develop the gifts He's given you."

"So, even if I can't make art, I'm still God's work of art," Aubrey concluded. Then she plopped down at the picnic table beside her artistic friend Claire.

-Allison Wilson Lee

How About You?
Do you ever compare yourself to others and wonder why you don't measure up? God made us each uniquely with different gifts, and He also gives each of us spiritual gifts when we trust Jesus for forgiveness and begin a relationship with Him. As you grow in your relationship with God, you'll discover more about the ways He's created you--and more about how you can use those gifts to help others and point them to Jesus.

Today's Key Verse:
We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. (NIV) (Romans 12:6)

Today's Key Thought:
God created us with special gifts

Bible Reading: 1 Corinthians 12:12-27

As the small rowboat rocked with the gentle motion of the water, Andrew watched his father cast out his fishing line. "Dad," said Andrew, "I don't want to go to the new church tomorrow. All my friends are back at our old church. I know we had to move because of your job, but I'm going to miss Pastor Davis and my friends."

Dad slowly reeled in his line a little and looked at his son. "I'm going to miss everybody too, but when we get settled in a new church, we'll make new friends. We still need to worship God and learn more about Him."

"But can't we just have church by ourselves at home?" asked Andrew. "You could play your guitar and we could sing. Then you and Mom could teach us from the Bible."

"Hold on a minute," said Dad. "I've got a bite." A minute later, he held up a small bluegill. "Looks like this one is too small to be of any use to us," he said. "What would happen if we just threw this fish in the boat and left it there?"

"It would die," said Andrew.

"Well, what if, instead of throwing it back, we take the fish to another lake and let it loose?" Dad asked. "Would it be able to live there?"

Andrew thought a moment. "I think so, as long as we didn't leave it out of water too long."

"Well," said Dad, "our family is a little like a fish that's been taken from one lake and put into another. We're in a new place, but we have everything we need to go on living--food, clothes, a home." He paused. "There's one more thing we need. We need to have fellowship with other Christians, and church is a good place to do that. If we don't go, we're a little like fish out of water."

"We wouldn't die," Andrew pointed out.

"No," said Dad, "we wouldn't actually die, but we'd miss an environment where we can be fed and encouraged spiritually and where we can encourage others."

Andrew was silent a few moments. "Okay, Dad," he said finally. He gave his dad a little grin. "This is one fish you've convinced."

-Daniel A. Burns

How About You?
Have you felt out of place when you've had to change churches? If you're a Christian, you're really out of place--like a fish out of water--when you don't attend church. Meeting with other Christians is an important part of worshiping God and growing in our faith. When you have to move to a different church, it may take a little time before you feel at home there, but with God's help, you can make that transition.

Today's Key Verse:
We must not quit meeting together, as some are doing. No, we need to keep on encouraging each other. (ERV) (Hebrews 10:25)

Today's Key Thought:
Worship God with others

Bible Reading: Psalms 46:10; 119:162-171

Jasper leaned against a tree trunk, his hands behind his head. He loved the annual family camping trips. This year they'd seen deer when they hiked in the woods. They'd explored the river gorge and found fossils, and they'd climbed some of the rocks. They'd also fished and waded in the river. Jasper sighed with pleasure. "This sure is a cool place!"

It was too dark to see, but Jasper could hear the smile in his mom's voice. "You seem to be enjoying yourself in spite of no playgrounds or ice cream shops or TV or video games."

"Yeah." Jasper grinned.

Late that evening, the family sat contentedly by the smoldering campfire, listening to it crackle and hiss. Crickets chirped, and small creatures scurried by, rustling the leaves. In the background, the river murmured as it flowed over the rocks. "Wow! Just look at all those stars!" Jasper said as he gazed up at the sky. "We sure can't see this many stars at our house. They seem closer to us here than they do at home!"

The others laughed. "The stars aren't any closer," Dad told him. "But we're out in the country now, away from all the city lights. When there are a lot of bright lights around, we can't see the light of the fainter stars."

"Oh, I get it." Jasper smiled, still looking upward. "I like it here--it's peaceful. It's kind of nice to have it quiet--you can think out here."

"That's one of the reasons I like to come here too," said Grandpa. "The glaring lights of the city make it hard to see the stars, and the busyness of everyday demands can make it hard to see how God is working in our lives and blessing us. It's good to get away from the daily routine."

Dad nodded. "Yes, but we don't have to go camping in the country to do that. We can take a break from our busy routine each day to spend time with Jesus and concentrate on the truth and promises He shares with us in His Word."

Grandpa turned on his flashlight and searched through his duffel bag. "This would be a good time to do that," he said as he pulled out his Bible. "Tonight, let's read together and talk about some things God is telling us."

-Sherry L. Kuyt

How About You?
Is the busyness of everyday life interfering with your time with God? It's a good idea to set aside quiet time to spend with Jesus and remember what He's done for you. You don't have to go out to the country to do that. Find a place where you can take a break from your normal activities and pay attention to what God is saying as you read your Bible and talk with Him.

Today's Key Verse:
Be still, and know that I am God. (NKJV) (Psalm 46:10)

Today's Key Thought:
Spend time with God