Bible Reading: Joshua 1:9; Isaiah 41:10

** Editor's note: This story addresses school violence and may not be suitable for some children.

Paxton had a sick feeling in his stomach on the bus ride home from school as he thought about the day's events. He couldn't get the shrieking alarm or the wide, frightened eyes of his classmates out of his mind. Even though it had turned out to be a false alarm, Paxton could barely concentrate the rest of the day.

That night, he picked at his dinner. Mom took off her gun and badge and sat down at the table to eat with him.

"Officer Dwiley told me there was a false alarm at the school today," Mom said. "A man walked past the office without signing in. Everyone's on high alert after what happened at the school in Stenson last week. I'm glad they're being extra cautious, but it must have been scary for you. Paxton?" Mom frowned. "Are you feeling okay?"

Paxton slowly shook his head. "My stomach and head hurt all the time."

Mom reached across the table to squeeze his hand. "A school shooting is a very scary thing, even for adults."

"Easy for you to say," Paxton muttered, pulling his hand away. "You carry a gun."

Mom sighed. "Carrying a gun doesn't make me less scared. While you were at school today, I was praying for your safety and saying that verse I told you about."

"'God hasn't given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind,'" Paxton recited.

Mom smiled. "Fear is a natural response when something horrible like this happens. But we can't let it overwhelm us. We have to choose to trust God to protect us and those we love. And even if something terrible were to happen, Jesus would be there with us. He died and rose again to defeat sin and death so we could live with Him forever. Even though scary things happen in this world, we can have peace knowing He is always with us." Mom squeezed Paxton's hand again. "Will you say that verse at school tomorrow whenever your stomach or head start hurting?"

"Okay," Paxton said. "I'll try."

"Good," said Mom. "And I'd like you to talk to the student counselor too. It's good to have another adult there at school who knows how you're feeling."

–Christa Hogan

How About You?
Do the bad things that happen in this world fill you with fear? You may feel scared when you hear about them in the news or from friends. Maybe you even know someone involved in a scary incident. Whenever you feel afraid, turn to Jesus. He loves you and wants you to feel His peace. Trust Him to be with you when you feel afraid, and talk to an adult about your feelings too.

Today's Key Verse:
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. (NKJV) (2 Timothy 1:7)

Today's Key Thought:
Fear not--God is with you

Bible Reading: 1 John 2:15-17

Naina nudged her way in as her class formed a circle around a four-square game drawn on the concrete. "There's a place in the United States where four states meet just like these four squares do," said Mrs. Cline. Using a big piece of chalk, she wrote the name of one state--Utah--in one square, Colorado in another, New Mexico in a third, and Arizona in the last one. "Many tourists visit that site and enjoy walking from state to state," Mrs. Cline told the class. "They also like to be in more than one state at a time. Who can show us how that can be done?"

Naina eagerly raised her hand. When Mrs. Cline called on her, Naina knelt on the pavement with her right knee in the square marked Arizona, her left knee in Utah, her right hand in New Mexico, and her left hand in Colorado. "Good," said Mrs. Cline. "Many people who visit Four Corners, USA, do the same thing."

That evening, Naina told her parents about the demonstration. "It was fun to pretend to be in four states at once," she said.

"I remember when I first heard about standing in more than one state at a time," Dad said. "When I was a freshman in high school, I heard it from my youth group leader."

"From your youth group leader?" asked Naina.

"My leader mentioned Four Corners and said we should be careful about trying to stand in two different states spiritually," Dad explained. "He said that as Christians we sometimes try to be in the state of following Jesus and in the state of worldly living at the same time. We might say we stand on Jesus and His truth, but we also want to have one foot in the world."

Mom nodded. "At Four Corners, are you actually in Colorado if you have one foot in New Mexico or one of the other states?"

"Well, not entirely," Naina admitted.

"No, and we can't really love Jesus and love the world at the same time either," said Dad. "This world is full of sin, but Jesus has saved us from sin and given us eternal life. Our hope is in Him, not in worldly things that won't last. That's why we need to follow Him wholeheartedly in every area of our lives."

–Nance E. Keyes

How About You?
Are you following Jesus wholeheartedly? Or are you trying to keep one foot in the ways of this world? Even though we live in the world, it's not where we belong--we belong to Jesus. So don't try to be in two places at once by holding on to sinful ways that don't fit the new life Jesus has given you, even if the world says it's okay. Leave them behind and follow Jesus alone.

Today's Key Verse:
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. (NKJV) (Romans 12:2)

Today's Key Thought:
Follow Jesus, not the world

Bible Reading: Jeremiah 29:11-13; Philippians 4:6-8

"What's this?" asked Rebecca. She pulled a toy rocket ship from a box she was unpacking for her cousin. "Judy! You never told me that you wanted to be an astronaut!"

"I don't," said Judy, shaking her head. "My dad bought it because I didn't want to move away."

Rebecca's brow wrinkled. "I don't get it."

Judy stretched out her hand. "Let me show you." Rebecca gave the toy to Judy, who tilted her wrist and aimed it at the desk. "When a rocket's in the right position to fly where it's supposed to go, astronauts say it has the correct attitude." She steered the spaceship through the air. "Dad said God brought us here because it's where He wants us to be, so moving to this house is just changing our position--like a rocket ship changing its attitude to stay on course." She landed the toy on her desk. "Dad's happy about his new job, but…" Judy sighed. "I feel the opposite."

She returned to her boxes. She opened one filled with books and passed some to Rebecca. "I miss my friends, and I'm nervous about going to a new school. I won't know anyone."

After Rebecca arranged the books on a shelf, she studied the titles and pulled one out. "How about keeping your Bible here?" She placed it next to the rocket ship. "You need a guidance system."

"What do you mean?" asked Judy.

"Pray. Ask Jesus to guide your attitude." Rebecca tapped the spaceship's wing. "Not only the kind for going in the right direction, but the regular kind of attitude too. You know, the way you feel about being here."

Judy shrugged. "I didn't think I should bother Him with this stuff."

Rebecca sat down on the edge of Judy's bed. "Jesus cares about you and wants to help you in every situation. He gave His life so you'd never have to worry about the future, knowing He would always be with you. Tell him your feelings and trust Him to guide you along His path for your life. He promises to be with you and help you every step of the way."

Judy hugged her cousin. "I like your plan. I'll pray for the right attitude--both kinds!"

–Elena Dee

How About You?
How do you react to change in your life? Do new, unfamiliar things make you feel uncertain or worried? Whether it's moving to a new place, going to a new school, or even disrupting a familiar routine, change can be hard. But if we remember that God promises to be with us, then change can be less scary--perhaps even a challenge or an adventure! Ask Jesus to help you have the right attitude as you trust Him to guide you and be with you wherever you go.

Today's Key Verse:
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. (NIV) (Joshua 1:9)

Today's Key Thought:
Trust God to guide you

Bible Reading: Luke 10:30-37

As Molly and Asher passed a tall fence surrounding an empty lot on their way home from school, they heard the sound of crying. They peeked through one of the broken slats and were astonished to see the school bully, Ryan Taylor, sitting in the dirt and sobbing on the other side.

"Look," Molly whispered, pointing. "He busted his bike." The badly wrecked bike lay in a heap. Ryan had a skinned knee and blood on his face. Asher and Molly looked at him for a moment and then hurried on by, each secretly thinking that Ryan Taylor had finally gotten what he deserved.

Not long after they got home, Molly and Asher heard Dad drive in. When they went to the kitchen, they were amazed to find Dad helping Ryan Taylor into the house! Dad pulled out a chair for Ryan, and Mom quickly began cleaning his knee and face. Molly and Asher hung back near the wall as Ryan told Dad that he lived with his grandmother. Soon Ryan and his wrecked bike were on their way home in Dad's car.

"I'm so glad your dad came along when he did," said Mom. "Not everyone helps people like your father does. He's really a Good Samaritan."

"A Good Samaritan?" asked Molly.

"You mean like the man in the Bible who helped another man on the side of the road when no one else did?" asked Asher.

"Yes," said Mom. "The priest and Levite in that story--religious leaders you'd expect would help--pretended not to see the man in trouble and just went on their way. But the Good Samaritan went out of his way to help him, and your dad is like that--he loves Jesus, and he knows Jesus loves everyone so much that He died for us and wants us to show His love to others, even those who don't seem like they deserve it."

Molly and Asher looked at each other, knowing they should have helped Ryan. Then Asher had an idea. "Do you think Ryan would like to have my old blue bike? I haven't used it since I got my new one, but it's still good."

"Good idea!" said Mom. "That's a great way to show Ryan God's love."

–Carolyn E. Yost

How About You?
Do you help people whenever you can, even if they don't treat you or other people well? God loves them, and He wants you to love them too--to treat them as neighbors and love them as you love yourself. That's loving them quite a lot, isn't it? But when you remember how much God loves you--so much that Jesus died for your sins so you could have eternal life with Him--it's easier to show that love to others.

Today's Key Verse:
Love your neighbor as yourself. (NKJV) (Matthew 19:19)

Today's Key Thought:
Love everyone

Bible Reading: Luke 16:10-12

Rex sat in the living room and pouted while his sister played in her room with her new guinea pig. If Lyra can have a guinea pig, I don't see why I can't have a lizard! he thought angrily.

"Rex," Dad said when Rex complained about it later that day, "you don't have any excuse for acting like this. You had the same chance to have a lizard as Lyra did to have a guinea pig. If you had taken good care of your goldfish, we would have allowed you to get a lizard. But you didn't take care of your fish--you never fed it or cleaned its bowl. Lyra had to take over and care for your fish as well as hers."

"But I don't like goldfish anymore!" said Rex.

"Well, you should have thought of that before bringing it home from the school carnival. When you bring things home--especially living things--you have to take care of them. If we can't trust you to take care of something small that you're responsible for, how can we expect you to care for something bigger and more complicated, like a lizard?" Dad paused. "You know, Rex, it's a good thing to remember that God often works in this way too."

"What do you mean?" asked Rex. "Are you saying I shouldn't ask Him for a lizard?"

"No," said Dad. "I'm saying that God usually trusts His children with small tasks before giving them bigger things to do. I've known people who had dreams of doing great things with their lives to serve God, but they lacked the discipline to follow through on things that seem small--like doing everyday tasks faithfully and with a good attitude." Dad squeezed Rex's shoulder. "Doing well in small things--even jobs like caring for a goldfish--helps us prepare for bigger tasks God might give us later on. He uses the small things we do to help us learn and grow to become more like Jesus, who is always faithful in everything He does."

Rex thought about his father's words. "Dad?" he said after a moment. "Can I have my goldfish back?"

Dad smiled. "I suppose we could give it another try."

–Lyndel F. Walker

How About You?
Do you do your tasks and schoolwork when you're supposed to? Do you treat your friends and family with kindness and respect, even when things don't go your way? Those may seem like small things, but they're important to God, and doing them shows that you can be trusted with bigger responsibilities later on. Be faithful with the small things God has put in your life now so He can use them to prepare you for bigger things in the future.

Today's Key Verse:
Whoever can be trusted with small things can also be trusted with big things. (ERV) (Luke 16:10 )

Today's Key Thought:
Be faithful in small things