Bible Reading: Colossians 3:12-17

"Did you see that clunky bracelet Megan is wearing?" Vivian whispered to the girls sitting near her on the bus, but Megan overheard. She looked down at the beaded bracelet she and her grandmother had strung together. Spaced between bright round beads were letters spelling J-O-Y. Megan had been excited to wear her new bracelet, but now it seemed silly. She quickly walked past Vivian and her friends as she got off the bus.

"Hi, sweetheart," said Grandma as Megan came in the house. "Do you want a snack before we finish your necklace?"

"Grandma, would it be all right if we did something else today?"

"Sure, Megan, but you seemed so excited about beading."

"I am. It's just that Vivian said something to some other girls about my bracelet." Megan sighed. "She's supposed to be my friend."

"Well," said Grandma, "I have something I want to show you. Then if you still don't want to finish your necklace today, we'll do something else." Grandma led the way to her craft room. Jars holding beads of many shapes and colors lined the shelves. Grandma reached for a jar hidden behind the others. "I've been saving this for a special project." She pulled out a large red heart-shaped bead. "Why don't you add this to your necklace?"

Megan looked at the necklace she had begun yesterday. The string was already full--there was only room for the clasp. "Grandma, there's no more room. I'd have to take off some beads."

"You know, friendship is a bit like stringing beads," replied Grandma. "You have to decide what to keep and what to put aside. We have both happy and hurtful moments with our friends. But if we hold on to the hurtful moments, we won't have room for anything else. Forgiving friends when they hurt us makes room for joy." Grandma carefully eased some beads off the string. She threaded the heart onto the strand and handed Megan the necklace. "When forgiving is hard, we can go to Jesus," Grandma said. "He's the Friend who always forgives us, and He'll help us forgive others."

"I need to forgive Vivian," Megan said as she slid more beads onto the strand. "Then we'll have room for more happy moments as friends."

–Heidi J. Schmidt

How About You?
Are you holding on to something someone did or said that hurt you? It hurts when others do or say mean things, especially a friend. But remember that if you're a Christian, Jesus has forgiven you for all the hurtful things you've said and done. Let your friends know when they hurt you, but then forgive them so you'll have room for more joyful moments together.

Today's Key Verse:
Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. (NIV) (Colossians 3:13)

Today's Key Thought:
Forgive and make room for joy

Bible Reading: Psalm 42:1-2; Matthew 5:6

"Mommy, can I have some juice? Ivy made me thirsty! She gave me potato chips."

Ivy grinned at her little brother. "You didn't have to eat them, Kylan."

"Yes, I did," said Kylan. "You made me want them! You said they were so good, and you kept eating them and eating them. That's why I ate so many, and now I'm thirsty!"

"You can have some water," said Mom. She poured water into a cup and gave it to Kylan, then reached over and took a potato chip from the bowl in front of Ivy. "Did you know that Christians are supposed to be like potato chips?" she asked, holding up the chip in her hand before popping it into her mouth.

"What? That's silly." Ivy took another chip from the bowl and studied it. "How can anybody be like a potato chip?"

Kylan grinned at his big sister. "I'd sure be thirsty if I ate a potato chip as big as you, Ivy. That would be a giant one!"

"Yes, it would," said Mom. "You'd probably have to drink a whole bucket of water!" She gave Kylan a playful jab. "Well, that's exactly how you're supposed to be like a potato chip--you should make people thirsty to know Jesus."

Ivy frowned. "How are we supposed to do that?" she asked, taking a few more chips.

"Potato chips make you thirsty because they're so salty, and Jesus calls His followers the salt of the earth," Mom explained. "If we're salt, we should make people thirsty for the joy, peace, and hope we have in Jesus."

"I still don't get how to make them want that though," said Ivy.

"Kylan said you made him want the potato chips by telling him how good they were, right?" said Mom. "He also saw you keep eating them and that you enjoyed them."

"I think I get it!" said Ivy. "We should tell our friends how great it is to know Jesus and let them see how glad we are to have Him in our lives."

"That's it," said Mom. "Jesus is always with us, giving us joy, peace, and hope--even in difficult times. You want to make them thirsty and want what you have." Mom crunched another chip and smiled.

–Mary L. DeMott

How About You?
Are you a salty Christian? Do your friends see the joy Jesus brings to your life and that He is with you in everything you go through? Have you told them about what He's done for you? As you show your faith in Jesus each day--even though you have struggles and problems--your friends may become thirsty for the peace and comfort He gives you and want Him in their lives too.

Today's Key Verse:
You are the salt of the earth. (NKJV) (Matthew 5:13)

Today's Key Thought:
Make others thirsty to know Jesus

Bible Reading: Romans 8:35-39

Eva zigzagged around mud puddles as she walked home in the rain, but her feet were still getting wet. I know Mom and Dad both had to work late today, but I wish they'd asked someone to give me a ride, she thought gloomily. And they know I don't like being home alone! But when Eva reached the back porch, she was surprised to see her older sister there. "Hi!" said Kate. "I'm home from college for the weekend." She grinned. "What a beautiful, sunshiny day, don't you think?"

"No, I don't!" said Eva, wiping water off her face.

"Oh, but it is!" insisted Kate. "Even if it doesn't look like it."

"I think you've been studying too hard, Kate. Your brain must be taking the weekend off too."

"So you're saying the sun isn't there anymore?" Kate asked, peering up at the heavy clouds. "That it totally disappeared?"

"Of course not," Eva answered. "But it's sure hidden. I haven't seen it for days!"

"Well, just because we can't see the sun doesn't mean it's not there. Behind those dark clouds, the sun still shines! It just goes to show that we can't always trust what we see--we need to trust the truth." When Eva didn't reply, Kate smiled and added, "Take Jesus, for example."

"Jesus?" asked Eva. "What do you mean?"

"Well, when bad things happen, we might feel like we're all alone, but we're not," Kate explained. "Jesus is always with us. The truth is that He's there, whether we feel like He is or not."

"So the clouds are like our problems," said Eva. "The clouds keep us from seeing the sunshine, but the sun is still there--and dealing with hard stuff may keep us from feeling like Jesus is with us, but He really is there."

"Right!" said Kate. "Because Jesus died and rose again to defeat sin and death, nothing can separate us from God and His love. That's His promise in the Bible, and we should trust Him. The sun is always shining, and God's love is always shining too."

Eva grinned. "Okay. So how about going for a walk?" She laughed when her sister made a face. "Come on, Kate. Don't let a little rain stop you on this beautiful, sunny day!"

–Diane Strawbridge

How About You?
Have you trusted in Jesus as your Savior? If you have, He promises that He will always be with you and never leave you. You may not always feel like He's there, but don't depend on your feelings. Trust the truth of God's Word, which says He will always be with His children. There is nothing that can separate you from God and His love.

Today's Key Verse:
[God] himself has said, "I will never leave you or abandon you." (CSB) (Hebrews 13:5)

Today's Key Thought:
Trust God, not feelings

Bible Reading: 1 Timothy 1:12-17

Hannah looked eagerly at the plates of food the waitress set down on the table. She could hardly wait to eat. "Hannah," said Dad, "why don't you lead us in giving thanks today?"

Hannah glanced around the busy restaurant. "Right now?" she asked. "What if the waitress comes back with the ketchup?"

"I'm sure she won't mind waiting," said Dad, and they all bowed their heads. Hannah glanced around again, then mumbled a quick prayer.

Luke looked up when she finished. "I couldn't even understand what you said!"

"Me neither," said Phoebe. "You talked too fast."

"I wasn't praying to you," said Hannah. "God understood me, and He knows I'm thankful."

"Hannah's right," said Dad. "God does know what she prayed--but, Hannah, Luke and Phoebe are right too."

Mom's eyes met Hannah's. "Do you find it embarrassing to pray?" she asked.

"No, not usually," said Hannah. "But everybody is watching us here."

"Who is?" asked Luke, looking around.

"Well, it feels like everybody is watching us when we all close our eyes," said Hannah. "Why can't we pray with our eyes open?"

"It isn't your eyes that God is concerned about--it's your heart," said Dad. "We give thanks as a family before each meal because we know God is the one who provides food for us. He provides everything we need--including forgiveness for our sins and eternal life through Jesus. He has given us so much, and we want to thank Him with grateful hearts."

"Exactly," said Mom. "Whether our eyes are open or closed or our prayer is silent or spoken out loud, the important thing is to remember that God provides us with everything we need and thank Him for it."

Hannah stared down at her plate, thinking about her parents' words. Then she put down her fork. "Can I pray again?" Mom and Dad nodded.

"Dear God," Hannah began, and from her heart she thanked God for the food. She finished with a hearty "amen," which was repeated by another "amen" next to the table. Hannah looked up as the waitress smiled and handed her the ketchup.

–Heather Tekavec

How About You?
Do you give thanks before each meal? Even when you're in public and other people can see you? If you feel embarrassed to close your eyes and pray out loud, remember that's not what God is concerned about. What matters to Him is your heart. Do you have a thankful heart? If so, pray and thank Him! Before a meal is often a good time to do that, whether silently or out loud, but don't stop there--give thanks for all the ways God provides for you.

Today's Key Verse:
Give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. (NLT) (Ephesians 5:20)

Today's Key Thought:
Thank God for what He provides

Bible Reading: John 15:1-5; Galatians 5:22-23

It was a sunny, warmer-than-normal February afternoon. "It's a perfect day to prune the muscadines!" Dad announced.

Cole and Ella threw on their warm clothes and met Mom and Dad outside. Dad hooked the trailer up to the tractor while Mom got the pruning tools. Then she and the kids climbed into the trailer while Dad took the wheel.

As they rode down to the vineyard, Cole asked, "Why do we prune the muscadines every year?"

"Yeah," Ella agreed. "We're cutting back the vines. Won't that mean fewer grapes?"

"Actually, the old shoots just take food away from the main vine," Mom explained. "They cause the vines to produce less fruit."

"So we prune them so they'll produce more muscadines," said Cole.

Dad pulled the tractor up to the first row. He and Mom began snipping away at the old vines while Ella and Cole collected the cuttings to make wreathes later.

After a successful day of work, everyone gathered in the living room for devotions. Ella paused her wreath-making as Cole handed Dad the Bible.

Dad flipped to a page and read John 15:2. "He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn't produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more."

"That's what we did today!" said Ella. "We pruned the muscadines so they'll bear more fruit."

Mom nodded. "But the Lord has to prune us sometimes too."

"What do you mean?" Cole asked.

"Well, sometimes there are things in our lives that the Lord has to cut away, such as sinful patterns or unhealthy attitudes. This process can be painful, but if we allow the Lord to prune us, we can be certain that it will help us grow in our relationship with Jesus, our Vine. We can't grow spiritual fruit by ourselves, which is why we need the Holy Spirit to prune us. Then our lives will overflow with spiritual fruit as we shine the love of Jesus to others."

"I want to be like a well-pruned muscadine vine," said Cole.

"Me too!" Ella exclaimed.

–Lisa Fuller

How About You?
Have you ever seen a plant being pruned? Maybe you've seen your parents trim bushes or workers cut dead branches off trees. This is what the Holy Spirit does to us. When we trust Jesus as our Savior, God gives us the Holy Spirit to transform our lives and give us the ability to produce spiritual fruit. As He prunes us by helping us turn away from sin, we produce fruit such as love, peace, kindness, gentleness, and other character traits that demonstrate God's love to others.

Today's Key Verse:
He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn't produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. (NLT) (John 15:2)

Today's Key Thought:
Let God prune you