Bible Reading: Psalm 23

Callie scooted into the passenger seat of her mom's SUV and gave a sheepish grin. "Sorry to keep you waiting. I wanted to practice one more time."

Mom smiled. "Today's the day you recite Psalm 23 in front of your Sunday school class, isn't it?"

"Yes," said Callie with a sigh. "And for some reason I keep forgetting the fourth verse."

"Why don't you practice with me?" said Mom. She started the car and pulled onto the long, winding road to church.

Callie's face brightened. "Sure!" She cleared her throat. "'The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Yea, though…though I…'" She shook her head. "It's no use. I always forget--Mom! Stop!"

Mom hit the brakes, and with a jolt, the SUV came to a halt.

"Look!" said Callie, pointing out the windshield. "A turtle!"

Sure enough, a small turtle with a greenish-gray shell was slowly trekking across the road.

Callie grabbed a pair of gloves from under her seat and opened the door. "I'll move him to safety before he gets hit by a car."

"Just watch out for traffic," replied Mom.

Approaching the turtle from behind, Callie firmly grasped its shell with both hands and gently lifted it into the air. "Hold on, little friend," she said softly.

She walked quickly toward the lake on the other side of the road. Within seconds, the turtle was safe and sound, swimming among the lily pads.

When Callie got back to the car, she was grinning from ear to ear. "Guess what? I remember the next verse! 'Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.'"

Mom laughed. "That turtle was literally walking through the valley of death, wasn't he?"

"Yes," said Callie. "And just like Jesus is always there to help us, His children, in times of trouble, I was able to help the turtle."

"You certainly did," said Mom with a smile. "Ready to head to church?"

"I am now," said Callie. "All thanks to a turtle!"

-Amanda Spino

How About You?
Have you ever been in a situation where you felt scared and alone? Perhaps you were someplace new and unfamiliar. Or maybe you were lost. The Bible promises that Jesus is always with us, even in our darkest moments. Next time you are afraid, tell Jesus how you feel and let Him embrace you with His comfort and peace.

Today's Key Verse:
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me. (NKJV) (Psalm 23:4)

Today's Key Thought:
Jesus is always near

Bible Reading: Psalm 119:9-11

"Aw, Grandpa, why do we always have to read the Bible after dinner?" Mack complained. I want to go finish building my fort, he thought as he watched Grandpa pull his big Bible off the shelf in the dining room.

Suddenly a bolt of lightning split the sky outside the window. Mack ducked with his hands over his ears as thunder shook the house. The lights blinked and then shut off.

"Not the lights," Mack groaned. Well, at least now we can't read the Bible since Grandpa can't see well enough to read in dim light, so I can go make my fort, he thought. "Grandpa, can I have a flashlight?"

"What for?" Grandpa asked. Mack could hear shuffling as he returned the Bible to its shelf.

"So I can finish building my fort," Mack said.

"You don't need a flashlight for that," Grandpa said. "You can see well enough."

Mack huffed and gripped the edge of the table as he made his way toward Grandma's linen closet. His foot hit something cold and metal, and water splashed onto his pant leg. "Ew, dog water!"

Grandpa handed him a napkin and he dried his foot. After grabbing an armful of blankets from Grandma's closet, he headed down the hall toward the living room. As he turned the corner, he smacked into the edge of the wall. "Owww!" he howled, and his blankets fell to the floor.

He saw a light bobbing from the direction of the dining room, and soon Grandpa appeared, flashlight in hand. "Would you like this?" Grandpa asked, holding out the light.

"Yes please," Mack said.

"Did you know that the Bible is like a flashlight too?" Grandpa asked as he helped Mack gather his blankets.

"What do you mean?"

"God's Word shows us where to walk. It shines light into our lives by showing us our sin and our need for Jesus to free us from it. And it teaches us how to live as God's children. Without the truth of God's Word in our lives, we would be stumbling in the darkness, and that always leads to trouble."

"Like how I spilled the dog water and smacked into the wall?" Mack asked.

Grandpa nodded. He piled the last blanket in Mack's arms. "Now go finish that fort of yours," he said. "And with a light this time."

-Julia Lodi

How About You?
Have you ever wondered why you should read the Bible? The Bible shines the light of God's truth into our lives so we can see the path we should follow. It points us to Jesus, who died for our sins so we could have a relationship with God. It shows us how to live as God's children and share His love with others. Read and listen to its truth so it can light your path and show you the way you should go.

Today's Key Verse:
Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path. (CSB) (Psalm 119:105)

Today's Key Thought:
God's Word gives light

Bible Reading: Matthew 5:16; 1 Peter 3:3-4

"Look!" said Mom. Isabel's eyes followed her mother's pointing finger. Her blue eyes sparkled as she spotted a striking orange and black butterfly flitting daintily from flower to flower.

"He's so pretty!" Isabel exclaimed. "Let's watch and see where he goes." Mom nodded, and they followed the butterfly's progress through Grandma's garden.

"Look at those red flowers," said Isabel a moment later. "They're the prettiest flowers in the garden. That butterfly will like them." She looked around. "Where did he go? I don't see him anymore."

Mom's eyes searched the area. Then she pointed toward a small cluster of weeds just below the red flowers. "He's there."

"On those weeds?" asked Isabel. "Oh yeah, I see him. I wonder why he's bothering with weeds when there are so many pretty flowers."

Mom smiled. "That's one wise little butterfly. He knows that the prettiest flowers aren't always the ones with the sweetest nectar."

"You mean those tiny purple flowers on the weeds taste sweeter to the butterfly than the big red ones?" asked Isabel.

Mom nodded. "It seems that they do."

Isabel frowned. "How odd!"

"We should be as wise as that butterfly," Mom said. "Sometimes, we get carried away by the way people look or how they dress. We forget that real sweetness and beauty comes from the heart--the kind of person we are on the inside."

Isabel thought about that. "So it doesn't matter how we look?"

Mom laughed. "I didn't say that. We should take care of ourselves and do our best to look nice. But when we focus more on our outer appearance than we do on the way we treat others, that's not good. We need to remember that our true beauty comes from Jesus. He has given us new, beautiful hearts, and that means we can show His love to others through our attitudes and actions."

"And letting people see the beauty He's given us on the inside is more important than what we look like, isn't it?" said Isabel.

"It sure is," said Mom. "Let's remember that how we are on the inside is what's important in God's sight and trust Him to help us show others how He has made us beautiful."

-Tanya Ferdinandusz

How About You?
What kind of person are you? It's natural to want to look good and wear nice clothes, but remember that in God's eyes real beauty is on the inside. Real beauty is found in Jesus and the love He has put in your heart. If you are kind and gentle and loving in how you treat others, you are showing the kind of beauty that God loves to see--the beauty of Jesus.

Today's Key Verse:
Your beauty…should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight. (NIV) (1 Peter 3:3-4)

Today's Key Thought:
Show your inner beauty

Bible Reading: Matthew 22:1-14; John 6:35-40; Revelation 19:6-9

Sofia sighed as she put down the last of the envelopes she was stuffing. "They're all done, Mom--the invitations for the neighborhood reunion are ready to go."

"Thanks, Sofia," said Mom. "You've been a big help! Our planning committee thought about just emailing invitations, but we decided paper invitations would help everyone know how much we want them to come."

Sofia grinned. "I think it's a great idea--throwing a party and inviting everyone who used to live in the neighborhood but moved away. I hope lots of people come. It's been a long time since I've seen some of the kids I used to play with."

When the reunion day arrived, Sofia and her family joined the crowd at the neighborhood park where the festivities were being held. "There's Mr. and Mrs. Wood!" exclaimed Sofia. "And Jill's with them!" They all hurried over to greet the Woods, who used to live next door to them.

Then Dad saw Mr. Yu, who used to be the school principal; Mom headed for Mrs. Burgos, who had been in her Bible study many years before; and Sofia spied a girl who'd been in her class at school before moving away.

That night, Sofia and her parents talked about seeing so many old friends. "I was hoping the Sanchez family would come," said Sofia. "I wanted to see the twins again." She frowned. "I wonder why they didn't come. Maybe they didn't get the invitation."

"I'm sure there are good reasons why some who got invitations couldn't come," said Mom.

"I guess so," Sofia said. "I can't see why they'd just ignore an invitation for such a fun event."

"It was fun, wasn't it?" said Dad. "It reminds me of another event we've been invited to--one we definitely don't want to miss!"

"What event is that?" asked Sofia. "I haven't seen any invitations come in the mail."

Dad took his Bible from the coffee table and held it up. "Our invitation is right here! Jesus invites everyone to come to Him to have their sins forgiven and receive eternal life, and those who do will take part in a much bigger reunion someday--a gathering of all God's children in heaven. It's an invitation we want to be sure to accept."

-L. Anne Siegrist

How About You?
Have you accepted Jesus's invitation to trust in Him as your Savior? All who do will be with Him--and with all other Christians--in heaven someday. What a celebration that will be! This invitation is not one you can afford to turn down. Accept it today and come to Jesus for forgiveness and eternal life. (To learn more, click the "Good News!" button in the right column of this page.)

Today's Key Verse:
The one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. (NKJV) (John 6:37)

Today's Key Thought:
Jesus invites you come to Him

Bible Reading: John 6:5-13

"Yessss, cinnamon rolls!" Anna bounced in her lunchroom seat, her braids swinging up and down. She carefully opened the plastic bag, releasing the delicious smell into the air.

"Anna, won't you share?" asked her friend Andrew. He sat across the table eyeing her treats.

Anna bit into a cinnamon roll and slowly chewed with her eyes closed. She licked the sticky icing off her fingers with a smack. "You had cookies." She pointed at the leftover crumbs in front of him. "You don't need my cinnamon rolls."

"Pleeeease?" Andrew begged. He folded his hands and pouted.

"No, these are mine." Anna was about to eat the second roll when she spotted Chris. "Is Chris eating alone again?"

Andrew turned around to see. "Looks like it. He always eats one PB and J sandwich. I know I'd be hungry if that's all I ate."

Anna frowned. "That reminds me of something. Do you remember how we learned about Jesus feeding five thousand people with a little boy's lunch? It wasn't much, but he shared it with Jesus. And Jesus did a miracle with it!"

"Yeah," said Andrew. "I bet that boy was surprised when the five loaves of bread and two fish he brought for lunch fed five thousand people!"

Anna looked at the roll, then back at Chris. "What good can this small cinnamon roll do?" she whispered to herself.

"Hey, you're not throwing that away, are you?" asked Andrew. He perked up when Anna stood.

"No," Anna said. "I'm sharing the little I have. It can't feed everyone, but maybe it can help somebody."

Anna walked to Chris's table. "Hey, Chris." She offered him the roll.

"What's that?" Chris asked shyly.

"It's a cinnamon roll," Anna replied. "My mom made it, but I want to share it with you."

Chris's eyes grew wide and welled up with tears. "My mom used to bake rolls before she got sick."

"Oh." Anna bit her lip. "Here, try it." She handed it to him and sat down across the table. "It's really yummy."

Chris took the roll from the plastic bag and carefully bit into it. As he chewed, he closed his eyes and smiled.

Anna smiled too.

-Kenzie McGregor

How About You?
What's something small you can share to help others and show them God's love? Maybe you have a toy car, a book, or a game you can share. Maybe you can sing or bake or write a thoughtful note to someone. No matter how small it is, Jesus can use whatever you're willing to share for His glory.

Today's Key Verse:
Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many? (NIV) (John 6:9)

Today's Key Thought:
Let Jesus use what you have