Bible Reading: Romans 5:1-5; James 1:2-4, 12 “My new school is horrible!” Clara said as she came into the living room. “The kids all have their own groups of friends and ignore me. My teacher’s always in a bad mood and gives ridiculous assignments. I miss my old friends. Why did we have to move… Continue Reading…

Bible Reading: Psalms 40:1-5; 139:17-18 One hot afternoon, Lorelei and Brandon’s dad took them to the beach. After a refreshing swim, they stretched out on a blanket under an umbrella. Dad read a book, and Brandon fiddled with a waterproof watch he’d brought along. Lorelei sat up and took a handful of sand. She brushed… Continue Reading…

Bible Reading: Psalm 100 “How was Sunday school today?” asked Mom as the family ate lunch together after church. “Great,” said Lydia. “Mrs. Simons always makes the stories interesting.” “Did you learn any new songs today?” asked Dad. “Not today,” Ian answered. Then he chuckled and looked across the table at Lydia. “Did you hear… Continue Reading…

Bible Reading: Ecclesiastes 3:1; Isaiah 40:31; Galatians 6:9 Every day after work, Dad would walk to Spencer’s school and together they’d walk home, past the city baseball park. On Fridays the ballpark was bursting with noise from a city baseball game. Spencer wanted to see what was happening, but a tall wooden fence blocked the… Continue Reading…

Bible Reading: Galatians 5:22-23; Ephesians 4:1-2; 2 Timothy 2:23-25 Gracie sat down on the couch next to her mother. They both laughed as three-year-old Maggie chased their new kitten around the living room. “Come here, Kitty! Come here!” Maggie yelled, holding out a treat, but the kitten darted away. Gracie sighed. “Mom, I don’t know… Continue Reading…

Bible Reading: Matthew 7:21-27; Romans 10:9-10 “Look, there’s a ladybird!” cried Olive. Jocelyn dropped her doll on the grass and looked up at the sky. “Where? I don’t see any birds—or a lady either! Besides Mom, I mean.” She smiled at her mother. Olive laughed. “A ladybird isn’t a bird—or a lady.” She pointed to… Continue Reading…

Bible Reading: Romans 12:3-8; Ephesians 2:10 Aubrey picked up her basket (Or what was intended to be a basket, she thought glumly) from the craft table on her way out. She’d just finished her morning classes at her weekly homeschool co-op. Now she and the other families in the group would gather at a nearby… Continue Reading…

Bible Reading: 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 As the small rowboat rocked with the gentle motion of the water, Andrew watched his father cast out his fishing line. “Dad,” said Andrew, “I don’t want to go to the new church tomorrow. All my friends are back at our old church. I know we had to move because… Continue Reading…

Bible Reading: Psalms 46:10; 119:162-171 Jasper leaned against a tree trunk, his hands behind his head. He loved the annual family camping trips. This year they’d seen deer when they hiked in the woods. They’d explored the river gorge and found fossils, and they’d climbed some of the rocks. They’d also fished and waded in… Continue Reading…

Bible Reading: Psalm 25:1-5 Kara went into the den where her parents were working on a puzzle. “I just got a text from Cadence,” she announced glumly. “She told me she has a job for the summer—babysitting the Preston kids two afternoons each week.” Mom looked puzzled. “You don’t sound very happy about it, but… Continue Reading…