Bible Reading: Philippians 4:11-13; 1 Timothy 6:6-8

"Hey, Mr. Watson," said Thiago as he walked across the courtyard of his apartment complex. His neighbor was watering pink and white impatiens in a flower box.

"Hi, Thiago," replied the elderly man. "Have you gotten used to being in the city yet?"

Thiago put his backpack down before he answered. "No, not really. I wish we didn't have to leave Oceanview. I miss swimming in the ocean."

"You can swim here too, you know," said Mr. Watson as he began watering the plants in a large urn.

"I know. That's what Sam said--he's in my class at school. But the only place there is to swim around here is the city pool. I went with him one day, and it was so crowded, it was no fun at all! Nothing like swimming next to a sandy beach in the hot sun."

"Sounds like you need to make an adjustment," said Mr. Watson.

Thiago sighed. "What if I don't want to?"

"I didn't either. Before I moved to this apartment, I used to have a big garden at a house outside the city. When I first moved here, I tried to grow the same flowers on the north side of this complex as I had grown in my big, sunny garden. Most of them either died or grew spindly and didn't bloom."

"Your flowers look okay to me," said Thiago, looking at the boxes and urns popping with color.

"That's because I adjusted to my new situation and planted flowers that bloom in the shade," Mr. Watson explained. "I learned that God created more than one kind of beautiful flower. And you might discover that God has good things He wants you to experience here that you wouldn't have had in Oceanview."

"You sound like my Sunday school teacher," said Thiago. "She's always telling us that if we know Jesus, we can be content no matter where we are or what we have."

"Well, she's right," said Mr. Watson. "Jesus has given us eternal life and promises to be with us in every situation, and because of that, we can be content. Trust Him to help you adjust to your new situation. Give it some time, and you might learn to like city life--just like I've learned to like impatiens and begonias."

–Ruth McQuilkin

How About You?
Do you have to adjust to something new--like a new home, school, or family member? If you only see the bad things about your new situation, you'll miss out on the good things God has for you. The Bible tells us that, with Jesus, we can be content in any situation. Trust Him to show you something good about your new situation and to help you through any adjustments.

Today's Key Verse:
I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I find myself. (CSB) (Philippians 4:11)

Today's Key Thought:
Learn to adjust

Bible Reading: 1 Corinthians 10:12-14

As Charlotte carefully counted out the money she had taken from her drawer, her sister Rachel watched from the bed. The girls had decided to pool their money and get their mom a special gift for Mother's Day. "We should go around the neighborhood and ask if there are any odd jobs we can do," said Charlotte. "Then we might have enough money to get Mom that necklace we saw."

"Well, Mrs. Stowe is always looking for someone to do yard work for her. Let's try her," suggested Rachel.

Soon the girls were mowing and raking Mrs. Stowe's yard. It was a very humid day, and they were hot and sweaty by the time they finished. Wiping her forehead, Rachel gratefully took the money Mrs. Stowe gave them and put it in her pocket.

"I'm thirsty," said Charlotte as they started down the street. "I'd give anything for an ice-cold soda right now!"

"Or a huge cone of chocolate ice cream," said Rachel. "But we can't spend any of our money or we might not have enough for the necklace."

Just then, the girls heard the music of an ice cream truck as it came around the corner. "Ice cream!" called out the driver. "Ice-cold drinks!"

Charlotte and Rachel looked at each other. "This is so tempting, Rachel," said Charlotte. "What should we do?"

"Run!" shouted Rachel. And they did! They ran straight home and immediately poured themselves giant glasses of ice water.

Later that day, they counted their earnings. Charlotte turned and grinned at Rachel. "We have just enough to get that necklace. Good thing we didn't spend any on anything that ice cream truck was selling."

"Yeah," Rachel said. "It's like what we learned at church last week--when we face the temptation to sin, the best thing to do is run away. Because Jesus freed us from sin, we don't have to give in. He will help us escape temptation and do what's right instead."

"But spending our money on ice cream wouldn't have been a sin, would it?" asked Charlotte.

"Of course not," said Rachel. "But we agreed to use it all on Mom's gift, and I'm glad we stuck to that decision. And when we are tempted to do something that's wrong, we can run away from that temptation too."

–Linda E. Knight

How About You?
What do you do when you're tempted to do something that's wrong? When you're enticed by sin, remember that, through Jesus, you have the power to resist it and act out of love and obedience instead. God promises to always provide a way for you to escape temptation, and when you see it, run! Trust Him to help you resist temptation and do what's right.

Today's Key Verse:
Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace. (NIV) (2 Timothy 2:22)

Today's Key Thought:
Run from temptation

Bible Reading: 1 Timothy 2:1-8

Alex frowned as he poured some cereal and looked out the window. Joanna never quits talking! he thought as he saw his sister coming up the driveway. I wish she'd leave me alone. He snapped his fingers. I know what'll fix her. I'll give her the silent treatment. So when Joanna came into the house, Alex retreated to his room. She banged on his door and called his name, but he put on some music and turned up the volume so he couldn't hear her, and Joanna finally gave up and walked away.

A little while later, Joanna started to tell Alex something, but he covered his ears with both his hands and began to hum. I'll teach her, he thought. All morning he refused to hear anything she said.

At lunchtime, Alex noticed that Joanna had put on her swimsuit. "Are you going somewhere, Joanna?" asked Dad.

She nodded. "I'm going to Water World with the Mannings."

"Sounds like fun," said Dad. He looked at Alex. "You're not going?"

"I wasn't invited," Alex answered crossly.

"You were too!" said Joanna. "I tried to tell you all morning, but you wouldn't listen. They had two extra tickets and invited both of us, but now they've given the last ticket to someone else."

"Oh no!" wailed Alex as the Mannings' car turned into the driveway.

That evening, Alex asked his parents for help with something for church. "My small group leader wants each of us to share some thoughts on prayer during our group time this week," he said. "But what should I say?"

"Well, let's see," said Dad. "Maybe you could talk about the importance of talking to God and listening to Him."

"You could tell about how you missed out on a fun outing today by refusing to talk with your sister," suggested Mom. "Then explain that we all miss out on the blessing of communicating with God when we fail to talk to Him."

Dad nodded. "God loves us and wants us to pray about all the things that matter to us. Jesus died and rose again so we could have a relationship with Him, and that means we can talk to God whenever we want!"

"Good idea," said Alex. "I'll tell the kids in my group not to give God the silent treatment."

–Nance E. Keyes

How About You?
Do you regularly talk to God? Do you tell Him what's going on in your life and ask Him for help with your problems? Or do you think it doesn't make any difference whether you pray or not? It does! God loves you so much that Jesus gave His life so you could have a relationship with Him. He wants to help you and bless you through the gift of prayer. Talk to Him about everything.

Today's Key Verse:
Pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. (NLT) (Philippians 4:6)

Today's Key Thought:
Talk to God

Bible Reading: Psalms 34:17-18; 147:3; Hebrews 4:14-16

"I can't wait for the school carnival on Friday!" said Skylar. "My mom's working at the slushy booth. She's gonna make me a slushy with every flavor in it!"

"My dad's helping out with the pin game," said Gabriel. "He said there are some cool prizes for whoever knocks them all down!"

"What about you, Nevaeh?" asked Skylar. "Is your grandpa helping?"

Nevaeh shook her head. "No, he can't work at a booth--he can't be on his feet for long periods of time."

"That's too bad," said Gabriel.

Nevaeh smiled and shrugged. "It's okay," she said. "No big deal."

When Nevaeh got home from school, Grandpa greeted her. "How about some of my famous guacamole?" he said. "I have to put the lawnmower away, but if you'll start cutting up the onions, I'll be back in a jiff to make the rest."

"Okay," said Nevaeh. But as soon as she sliced into an onion, her eyes started to tear up. The onion must be making my eyes water, she thought. But even after she put down the knife, the tears kept coming. When Grandpa came back inside, Nevaeh was sobbing.

"I'm sorry, Grandpa!" Nevaeh cried. "I keep trying to accept that I can't live with Mom or Dad and be thankful that I live with you, but when Skylar and Gabriel were talking about their parents working at the school carnival, I really wished my parents were working there too!"

"Your grandmother never wanted to bother anyone with her feelings either," Grandpa said. "So whenever I sensed something was wrong, I'd ask her to cut up some onions, and the same thing would happen to her--the tears would just come out." He gave Nevaeh a hug. "But your feelings aren't bothersome to those who love you, Nevaeh. Whenever you feel sad or upset, you don't need keep it to yourself. You can tell me--it won't hurt my feelings to know that you miss your parents. And most importantly, you can tell Jesus. He loves you and can handle any feelings you have."

Grandpa cut into an avocado. "I may not be able to help with a booth, but I could bring some guacamole to your school carnival. How about that?" Nevaeh smiled and nodded.

–Courtney Lasater

How About You?
When you feel sad or upset, do you ever try to keep it to yourself? Maybe you don't want to bother other people about it or don't think they'd care. But it's important to share your feelings with others instead of bottling them up inside. Jesus wants you to tell Him about your feelings too--you can trust Him to understand and to help you with them.

Today's Key Verse:
Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. (NLT) (1 Peter 5:7 )

Today's Key Thought:
Share your feelings with Jesus

Bible Reading: Matthew 25:31-40

"Are you ready to go, Elizabeth?" asked Mom. Elizabeth frowned. They were going to visit Mom's grandma, who had Alzheimer's disease.

"I'm not sure why we visit every week," murmured Elizabeth as they started toward the door. "Last week she didn't even remember my name."

"No, but Grammy always enjoys seeing you," said Mom. Elizabeth doubted that. Visits to Grammy always seemed awkward and sad.

A cry came from the baby's room upstairs. "Sounds like Simon needs a bottle," said Dad, putting his tablet down. "I'll get it! You two have a good visit."

"Okay," said Mom, and she and Elizabeth went on out to the car. "Elizabeth, I was just thinking about how much I appreciate your help with Simon," Mom said as they pulled out of the driveway. "You seem to really enjoy feeding him, playing with him, and holding him when he cries."

Elizabeth grinned. "I do, Mom. He's such a sweet baby, and I love him so much!"

"Me too," said Mom. "But do you think Simon will remember that you fed him or took care of him at all a year from now? He probably doesn't even realize how much you do for him now, and he's too young to understand who you are."

"Well, you still need to take care of him, so I'm doing it for you too," said Elizabeth. "I'm happy to help. And when he's older, he will know who I am."

Mom nodded. "Just like Simon, Grammy needs someone to care for her too, even though she can't fully appreciate all we do for her or even remember our names sometimes. But Jesus still loves her and promises to take care of her, and one way He does that is through us. When we show her the same love and care He does, we're not just doing it for Grammy--we're doing it for God too."

Elizabeth sighed. "You're right. It's just hard to visit her sometimes when she won't even remember we came."

"I know, but she'll know somebody cares right now," said Mom gently. "It will help her today." She smiled. "She may not remember, but God will. And one day, when Jesus gives Grammy a new, perfect body, I'm sure she'll remember too."

–Mike Dize

How About You?
Are you willing to help people who will probably forget all the good things you do? God won't forget. Jesus says that the things you do to show love and care to others are done for Him, whether anyone else remembers or not. Be willing to help in whatever way you can, even if you don't think it will make a difference. Do it for the Lord, and trust Him to use your good deeds to show people His love.

Today's Key Verse:
[Jesus said,] "Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me." (NIV) (Matthew 25:40)

Today's Key Thought:
God remembers all you do