Bible Reading: Colossians 3:13; James 4:11-12

"Mom, what are we having for dinner?" Clara tapped her pencil against the table.

Mom turned around from stirring the big pot on the stove. "Venison and veggie stew. Do you need any help with your homework?"

"I can't focus," Clara said with a groan. She scowled. "I keep thinking about what Emerson said to me."

Mom sighed and headed over to the table. "Clara, your brother apologized and received a punishment--days ago. Why are you stewing over this?"

"Huh? Stewing?" asked Clara. "We haven't even eaten the stew!"

Mom laughed. "No, it's a homonym. Like what you're working on in school." She tapped Clara's paper. "Like a dog's bark and a tree's bark? Stew has more than one meaning. Sometimes, it can mean you're thinking about something with agitation or resentment--you're dwelling on it."

"Kind of like our food stew has been in the pot for hours?" asked Clara. "And I've been dwelling on what Emerson said for days?"

Mom nodded. "Here's a question for you, Clara. What has your stewing done for you?"

"I guess it's made me more upset…and a little distracted," Clara admitted thoughtfully.

"When we choose to focus on forgiveness and allow God to be the Judge, it softens our hearts and gives us freedom." Mom drew a heart on Clara's paper.

"Even if the person who did something wrong doesn't deserve it?" Clara asked.

Mom looked into Clara's eyes. "We didn't deserve Jesus's forgiveness, and yet He died on the cross for us. When I start dwelling on what someone did, I talk with Jesus and think about what He did for us. I remember the kindness and compassion He has for me and the person who hurt me. And that allows me to forgive."

Clara sighed. "It's hard sometimes, but you're right. I'm making 'ew stew' in my mind and heart, and I would rather be brewing something yummy."

"Like coffee?" Mom winked.

"Oooh, yes, with extra sweet creamer!" Clara giggled. "Kindness and forgiveness coffee."

Mom handed Clara an empty coffee cup. "Yum! I'll take some of that, please!"

-Savannah Coleman

How About You?
Have you ever had a hard time forgiving someone? When we find ourselves in this situation, we can remember the forgiveness God shows us through His Son, Jesus. Forgiveness means releasing your desire for revenge and giving it over to Jesus, the good Judge who will one day take care of every wrong. If you have asked Him to be your Savior, you have His power to help you forgive.* *If someone has hurt you and you're not sure how to stay safe and show forgiveness, talk to a trusted adult.

Today's Key Verse:
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. (NIV) (Ephesians 4:32)

Today's Key Thought:
Forgive others as Christ forgave you

Bible Reading: Hebrews 12:1-3

Jen was almost at the end of her cross-country race, and she was exhausted. She had run over a mile along steep trails going up and down through the forest. But as she reached the top of the final hill in the final stretch of the race, she heard someone cheering on the sidelines.

"You can do it, Jen!" Jen's dad waved at her. "You're almost there!" Even though Jen was tired, she ran a little faster across the finish line.

"You did a great job out there," Dad said as he handed her a bottle of water.

"I don't think so," Jen puffed, short of breath. "I didn't win. I nearly got last place!"

"But you finished your first cross country race!" Dad exclaimed. "You made it to the end. I'm proud of you for persevering and not giving up, even when it was hard."

"Thanks." Jen smiled. "It really helped when I saw you cheering me on at the end."

Jen and her dad sat down together on the sidelines to watch the older kids crossing the finish line.

"Did you know that the Bible says life is like a race?" Dad asked.

"If it is, I don't think I'll win." Jen took another gulp of water. "I'm not very good at running."

"It doesn't matter if you're a good runner," Dad said. "And it doesn't matter how fast, strong, smart, or old you are. We win the race by persevering in trusting and following Jesus, even when life is hard. When you were tired, how did you keep going?"

Jen smiled. "I heard you cheering me on, and I remembered you were waiting for me at the finish line."

"Well, as we run the race of life, Jesus is with us the whole time, cheering us on--and there are lots of other Christians who cheer us on and help us stay strong in our faith," Dad said. "And when we finally cross the finish line, Jesus will be there, and we'll see Him face-to-face. When we focus on Jesus and remember that He will be waiting for us at the end of our race, that can help us persevere."

Jen nodded. "That's encouraging to remember."

"So do you think you'll run more races?" asked Dad.

"Maybe," said Jen. "I'd better get practicing!"

-Abby Ciona

How About You?
Do you ever want to give up when you face challenges? If you're a Christian, Jesus gives you strength and helps you in hard times, and He provides encouragement and help through other Christians too. You can persevere by fixing your eyes on Jesus and finding strength in Him. He is with you now, and He'll also be waiting at the finish line of life.

Today's Key Verse:
Since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith…let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. (NLT) (Hebrews 12:1 )

Today's Key Thought:
Run the race for Jesus

Bible Reading: 2 Peter 1:2-9

Jack wiggled impatiently as his Sunday school teacher tied a blindfold over his eyes. A big picture of a donkey without a tail was tacked on the wall, and it was Jack's turn to be blindfolded and turned around a few times before walking to the donkey and attaching a tail. This will be easy, he thought. He had noticed that the donkey was just a little to his left and about as high as his shoulders.

When he was ready, Jack took a few wobbly steps, reached out and…there! He snatched off his blindfold and couldn't believe his eyes. There stood the donkey with a tail growing right out of its nose! Jack joined in the laughter as Mrs. Gates blindfolded another boy who was ready to try.

After the game, Mrs. Gates had the kids sit down on the floor. She pointed to the donkey, which was still in place on the wall. "It would be easy to go right now and pin the tail in the right place," she said. "What made it hard during the game?"

"We were blindfolded," said one of the girls, "and we were dizzy from being turned around."

"That's right," said Mrs. Gates. "Do you know that Christians are sometimes like that too? Attitudes that keep us from doing the right thing and showing God's love to others are like spiritual blindfolds. What do you think some of those might be?"

Jack's hand shot up. "Selfishness," he suggested.

"Or being jealous of other kids," said another boy.

"Or thinking you're better than other people," offered one of the girls.

Mrs. Gates nodded. "Things that are like spiritual blindfolds to us do not belong in our lives. When we trusted Jesus as our Savior, He set us free from sin and gave us everything we need to live godly lives for Him." She opened her Bible. "The book of Second Peter tells us some of the qualities that show others our lives have been changed by Jesus. When we lack these things because we're holding on to sinful attitudes, it says we become shortsighted--as though we're wearing a blindfold. When you notice a spiritual blindfold in your life, don't let it stay there--confess it to Jesus and trust Him to remove it."

-Hazel W. Marett

How About You?
Are there spiritual blindfolds in your life--sinful attitudes that keep you from showing others God's love? Are you quick to point out others' faults? Do you always insist on having your own way? If you know Jesus, He has given you all you need to live a godly life. Confess any sinful attitudes to Him. Then trust Him to help you see others the way He does so you can show them His love.

Today's Key Verse:
If you do not have these things [godly qualities], you are blind and cannot see far. You forget God saved you from your old life of sin. (NLV) (2 Peter 1:9)

Today's Key Thought:
Get rid of spiritual blindfolds

Bible Reading: Psalm 119:162-168

Willow stood at the entrance to the flea market and gazed at the noisy scene. Vendors and customers were talking loudly to be heard, and booths full of dishes, toys, books, and furniture spread out through the whole building. "Wow! What a lot of stuff!" she exclaimed as she ran to catch up with her mother. "Are you looking for something special?"

"Aunt Helen's birthday is next week, so I thought maybe we could find a candy dish for her," replied Mom. "She likes old-fashioned things."

"Yeah, she says they have character." Willow pointed. "The booth over there has dishes." So they went to look and soon found one they liked.

"I'm ready to go," said Mom after paying for the dish. "How about you?"

"Can I look at those books first?" asked Willow, pointing toward another booth.

"Okay," said Mom, "but don't go out of this aisle. I'll look at some other things along here."

Among the old books, Willow found a big, tattered family Bible. If it's old enough, it might be worth a lot, she thought. She checked to see how much it cost and found that it was only fifty cents. So she promptly bought it and went to show her mother. "Look, Mom. Do you think this Bible is old enough to be worth a lot of money?"

"Did you check the date in the front to see when it was printed?" asked Mom.

"I didn't think of that." Willow checked the date and was disappointed to find that the Bible wasn't very old at all.

That evening, Willow showed her dad the Bible she had bought. "I thought I might be getting a priceless treasure, but I forgot to check the date to see if it's really old." She sighed dramatically. "It isn't. The good part is that it only cost fifty cents."

"Oh, but it's still priceless," Mom assured her. "It's the Word of God, which is valuable beyond measure."

Dad nodded. "The Bible tells us how we can have eternal life through Jesus, and it offers us guidance and encouragement as we go through life with Him. Mom's right--even though you can't sell it for a lot of money, you bought a priceless treasure at the flea market today."

-Harriett A. Durrell

How About You?
Do you have a priceless treasure--a Bible? No matter what you paid for your Bible, it is valuable. The paper may not be the finest, and the binding may not be the softest leather. But the Word of God--which is written inside--is priceless. It's full of God's treasure--the truth and promises of Jesus. Read it so you can discover the priceless treasure He wants to share with you.

Today's Key Verse:
I rejoice at Your word as one who finds great treasure. (NKJV) (Psalm 119:162)

Today's Key Thought:
The Bible is true treasure

Bible Reading: Matthew 23:25-28

"Mom, I got it!" announced Eva after school one day.

"Got what?" asked her brother Ben. "Is it contagious?" He moved to the other side of the room, pretending to be afraid of her.

Eva gave him a scornful look and held up a book. The picture on the jacket showed a girl in a long skirt cooking over an old-fashioned stove. Ben made a face, and Eva grinned. "It's the book I was telling Mom about that I found at our school library. It tells how to make vanity cakes like they did in pioneer times. Mom said she'd help me make some if I brought home the recipe." She turned to her mother. "Can we make them today?"

"Right after dinner," Mom said.

After the meal, Ben was put on dish duty, and Eva ran to get the book she had brought home. She eagerly opened it and flipped through a few pages. Then she closed it and looked at the cover. "This is weird," she said, puzzled. "The jacket on this book says it's about old-time cooking, but it's really about antique cars! I can't believe I didn't notice that before!"

"Hey! That might be a good book after all!" said Ben. He grinned. "I think you should do the dishes so I can read that book."

"Somehow it got the wrong jacket on it," Mom said, looking at the book. "I guess this proves the old saying, 'You can't tell a book by its cover.'" She smiled at the kids. "And that goes for people too!"

Ben gave her a questioning look. "What do you mean?"

"People sometimes put on a good cover too," Mom explained. "We might go to church and do all sorts of good things. Those who see us may be fooled and think such nice people must be Christians. But God knows what's inside. He knows whether or not we've trusted Jesus and really are Christians or if we're just pretending to be something we're not."

"Well," said Eva, "compared to that, getting fooled by the cover on this book isn't so serious, but we won't be making those cakes tonight."

"So does that mean I get out of doing dishes?" asked Ben hopefully.

"It means you get some help," said Mom. "Let's all get at it."

-Hazel W. Marett

How About You?
Do you do things that make you appear to be something you're not? Others may think you're a Christian because you go to church, behave nicely, and talk about God. But God knows if you really trust Jesus as your Savior. If not, stop pretending. He sees the real you. Trust in Him today. (To learn more, click the "Good News!" button in the right column of this page.)

Today's Key Verse:
You [God] know each heart, for you alone know every human heart. (CSB) (1 Kings 8:39)

Today's Key Thought:
You can't fool God