Bible Reading: Matthew 5:14-16

"Wow! Look at that!" exclaimed Leah. She and her father were taking their annual Christmas lights tour around the city. Dad pulled to the side of the street so they could get a good look at the house that had won the award for having the best display of lights. As they continued on their way, they agreed that no other place could compare to the house that won the award.

The next day was the first day of Christmas vacation for Leah. "I'm glad we won't have school for a little while," she said at breakfast. "I can't do anything right at school. I don't read well, I can't spell, and I'm bad at math." She let out a long sigh. "I'm a failure."

"Leah," said Dad, "I know school is hard for you, but…" He paused. "Go get your coat," he said as she finished her breakfast. "I want you to see something."

Leah eagerly jumped up and went out to the car with her father. "Where are we going?" she asked as they drove through the city.

"You'll see," said Dad. Soon he pulled to the side of the street. "Do you recognize this place?"

"That's the house we saw last night--the one that had all the beautiful lights!" Leah said in surprise. "It looks different now. It doesn't look very special at all."

"You're right," said Dad. "It's when we see the lights shining in the night that it looks beautiful. I thought about that when you said you couldn't do anything well. You see, we may not feel like we're all that special, especially when we aren't able to do things as well as we'd like--we might think we're as ordinary as that house looks right now. But Jesus loves us no matter what we can or can't do, and because we trust in Him, we have something special--we have the light of His love. People need to see that light--the light of Jesus in us." Dad smiled. "Leah, I want you to know that the love of Jesus shines through you--and that's much more important than getting good grades in school. You're a special light for Jesus shining brightly in the night."

–Sara L. Nelson

How About You?
Do you ever feel like a failure? Does it ever seem like you can't do anything well or that you don't have any special talents or abilities? You are special because God made you and loves you, and if you know Jesus as your Savior, He has given you everything you need to be a light for Him in the world. Use that special ability to shine His light to everyone you meet!

Today's Key Verse:
You are the light of the world. (NKJV) (Matthew 5:14)

Today's Key Thought:
Be a light for Jesus

Bible Reading: John 6:5-11

Maria burst into the kitchen, tears streaming down her face. "I'm a terrible dancer!" she cried. "I'll never be a great ballerina. Everyone else in the class can grand jeté, but not me. I'm terrible. I quit!"

Mom set a lid on a simmering soup pot. "But you love ballet, and you're performing in the Christmas celebration at church next week."

"Not anymore," said Maria. "Trust me, no one wants to see me dance. I'd probably ruin the whole show."

Mom turned toward the stove and took the lid off the pot. "Do you see this vegetable stew? I'm taking it to church tomorrow for the weekly lunch for the homeless." Mom shook her head. "The problem of homelessness really bothers me. I'd like to feed all the homeless people in the city. Do you think this stew can do that?"

"No way," said Maria. "It's a big pot, but it's not that big."

Mom picked up the pot and walked toward the sink. "I can't feed everyone? Then I give up!" She tilted the pot over the sink.

"Stop, Mom!" cried Maria. "No one expects you to feed everyone."

Mom smiled and set the pot back on the stove. "That's right. This stew is my five loaves and two fish."

Maria glanced at the stew. "I thought it was potato and carrot."

Mom laughed. "When Jesus fed the five thousand, He used a boy's lunch--five loaves and two fish. When I see myself in that story, I'm not Jesus. I don't perform miracles! Instead, I'm the boy. I have only small gifts to give Jesus, but He can use them to do something great."

Maria looked up. "Like my dancing?"

"What do you think?"

"Well, I do love ballet," Maria admitted. "I've loved to dance since I was little."

"God gave you that love for dance," said Mom. "It's a gift you can give back to Him."

Maria smiled. "Okay, I'll stick with it. Even if I'm never a famous ballerina, I can still use my dancing to glorify God." She pirouetted around the kitchen table and kissed Mom on the cheek. "I'll trust Jesus to use my loaves and fish to make this a Christmas celebration to remember!"

–Jennifer Dillard

How About You?
Do you ever feel like your gifts aren't good enough? Do you want to do big things but feel like your talents are too small? Remember that God gave each of us the gifts we need to help Him bring about His kingdom on earth. Trust Him to guide you in using your gifts for His purpose, knowing they are good enough for Him.

Today's Key Verse:
Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks to God, and distributed them to the people. Afterward he did the same with the fish. (NLT) (John 6:11)

Today's Key Thought:
Your gifts are sufficient for God

Bible Reading: Jeremiah 9:23-24

Amy scrolled through the pictures on her tablet as her family began driving back to their hotel. "Wait until my friends see these!" she exclaimed. She and her family were enjoying a winter vacation trip and had gone to see an ice-skating show. After the show, some of the skaters signed autographs and took pictures with members of the audience. Amy's parents had taken pictures of her with several famous Olympic figure skaters.

When Amy got home after her first day back at school the next week, she grabbed a few of the apple slices Mom was cutting up and sat down at the table. "I told my friends all about our vacation today," she told her mother.

Mom laughed. "I'm sure you did," she said. "What did you tell them? Let's see, maybe I can guess." She pretended to think. "I've got it! By now the whole school probably knows about all the famous figure skaters you met!"

Amy nodded. "You should have seen my friends when I showed them my pictures," she said with a giggle. "They could hardly believe I'd met so many famous skaters. Good thing I had the pictures to prove it or they probably wouldn't believe me!"

"It was fun meeting them, wasn't it?" said Mom. "And it's exciting to tell other people about it. I told some people at work about the show and meet-and-greet." She thoughtfully sliced into another apple. "It makes me wonder though--do my coworkers know that I've met Jesus? Do your friends know you've met Him?"

"I--I don't know," said Amy. "I'm sure some of them do, but some probably don't."

"We like to tell others about the important people we meet, but sometimes we're embarrassed to mention the most important person in our lives," said Mom. "Jesus has changed my life more than anyone else--He died for me and then rose from the dead so I could have a new life with Him! Shouldn't I tell others that I know Him so they can meet Him too?"

Amy bit into an apple slice and nodded. "Yeah," she said. "I think we both should let others know we've met the most important person of all."

–Becky Decker

How About You?
Have you met Jesus and trusted Him as your Savior? If so, do your friends know about it? You probably spend a lot of time talking about celebrities, athletes, and other important people, but Jesus is the most important of all--and you know Him personally! Tell others what He's done for you, and let them know they can meet Him and have Him change their lives too.

Today's Key Verse:
As for me, I will never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. (CSB) (Galatians 6:14)

Today's Key Thought:
Tell others you've met Jesus

Bible Reading: Isaiah 61:1-4

Josiah sat in front of the woodstove, soaking up the warmth and staring at the flickering flames. It was very cold outside, and he was happy his grandpa kept the fire going. He and his mom had just made the long trip north from Virginia after his dad left them. Josiah missed his dad, and he missed his friends.

"Time to empty the ash pan," Grandpa announced as he came into the den.

"What?" asked Josiah, who had been lost in his thoughts.

"The ash pan," said Grandpa. "When the wood burns, it leaves behind some ash that collects in a pan at the bottom of the stove. Every few days, I have to empty it." Grandpa put on large gloves and used a special shovel to scoop the ashes from the pan into a bucket.

Josiah peered into the bucket. It was filled with light-gray flakes and dust. "That looks messy," he said. "What do you do with all that useless stuff?"

"Useless?" Grandpa shook his head. "It's not useless to me. Let me show you something."

Grandpa pulled a scrapbook off the shelf and flipped it open. It was filled with photos of roses and blue ribbons. "This is my blue-ribbon rose book," he said proudly.

"You won all those?" asked Josiah. "Wow."

"Sure did," replied Grandpa. "Do you want to know my secret?" Josiah nodded eagerly. "Ashes," said Grandpa.

"No way!" said Josiah in disbelief.

Grandpa nodded. "Wood ash contains lots of nutrients that my rosebushes need. Every spring, I spread an inch around the base of each shrub. It helps my plants produce prize-winning blooms." Grandpa looked at Josiah. "You know," he continued, "I know someone else who likes to make beauty from ashes." Grandpa paused and pointed heavenward. "God can take something that seems pretty useless and use it to make something wonderful. I know you miss your dad and aren't thrilled to be here, but Jesus can use even the hard things in our lives for good. He used what seemed like the worst thing of all--His death on a cross--to bring us the wonderful gift of eternal life with Him. If we keep our eyes open, I'm sure we'll see Him make something beautiful from your situation as well."

–Laura Kuehn

How About You?
Does your life seem to be filled with useless ashes right now? Is it hard for you to see how God could make it better? Don't be discouraged. God loves you very much--so much that He sent His Son, Jesus, to die for you--and He promises to do good things in your life. Pray and ask Him to help you. Then trust Him to take the difficult situation you're going through and bring something beautiful out of it.

Today's Key Verse:
We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him. (NIV) (Romans 8:28)

Today's Key Thought:
God can use hard things for good

Bible Reading: Luke 2:8-20

"Time to leave!" called Mom.

"I'm almost done with this level," said Timothy, eyes glued to the computer screen.

Mom stepped into his bedroom. "Get dressed now," she said. "We don't want to hold up the pageant rehearsal." She hurried down the hall, calling for Timothy's little sister, Gabby.

"I don't see why I have to be in the Christmas pageant," muttered Timothy. "I'm just a dumb shepherd, anyway."

He dug a brown robe from a pile of clothes and pulled it over his head. He looked at himself in the mirror. "Boy, I hope no one from school sees me wearing this!"

Timothy walked into the kitchen, tugging at the rope wrapped around his waist. "This costume is itchy. Do I have to do this?"

Mom was struggling with Gabby's angel costume. "Stand still, honey. These buttons are hard to see." She blew a wisp of hair from her face. "We've made a commitment, Timothy. We can't let everyone down. Besides, you're in the pageant every year."

"That's just it," said Timothy. "It's the same old thing, every single Christmas. A bunch of shepherds, a few wise men. It's not like we're telling a new story. It's boring!"

Mom stood up. "Come here, Timothy." She held out her arms and hugged him.

"I know you don't want to do this. But some things can't wait. Some stories need

us to tell them--over and over again, right now!"

"But I'm just a shepherd," said Timothy. "They're not interesting. Not like the angels." He pointed at Gabby. His little sister smiled and twirled in her angel costume.

Mom straightened Gabby's halo. "The angels' job was to tell the shepherds about Jesus's birth. The shepherds were the first people to learn and spread the word that God had sent Jesus as a Savior to the world!"

"That is pretty cool, I guess," said Timothy.

"It sure is," said Mom. "And did the shepherds say, 'Let's go to Bethlehem in the morning, when it's light outside'? No. Did they say, 'Let's find someone to watch these sheep, and then we'll go to Bethlehem'? No! They said, 'Let's go to Bethlehem now!'"

"Okay, Mom," said Timothy, heading for the door. "I guess we do need to get to church. To tell the story of Jesus--now!"

–Jennifer Dillard

How About You?
How many times have you heard the Christmas story? Twenty times? A hundred times? Even if the story feels familiar, try to experience it the way the shepherds did--as a glorious revelation from God that can change your life right now! Pray that God will help you feel the urgency and power of the story this Christmas season and share it with others.

Today's Key Verse:
The shepherds said to each other, "Let us go now to Bethlehem and see what has happened. The Lord has told us about this." (NLV) (Luke 2:15)

Today's Key Thought:
Feel the excitement of the Christmas story