Bible Reading: 1 Samuel 16:6-12 “Mom, how can I know if I’m beautiful?” Keira asked as she climbed into their blue minivan. “What makes you ask that?” her mom questioned. “At lunch, some of my friends were talking about the girls in our class. They said that Isabelle is so beautiful. Am I beautiful too?”… Continue Reading…

Bible Reading: Psalm 139:13-18 (Editor’s note: Providing a Christian perspective on this story’s subject matter is important. However, it may not be suitable for young children.) Kaden walked slowly up to home plate when it was his turn to bat. The pitcher threw the ball. “Strike one!” the umpire called. Kaden sighed, then watched the… Continue Reading…

Bible Reading: Philippians 2:13-16 Amelia put the last plate in the dishwasher and cleaned the kitchen sink. “I’m tired of doing all this work,” she grumbled. “Dishes, laundry, cleaning the bathroom, straightening things up—there’s no end!” “Hey, you’re not the only one who works around here,” her brother, Patrick, reminded her. “Dad and I made… Continue Reading…

Bible Reading: Revelation 5:9; 7:9-10 “I love flowers! And you make such pretty bouquets and centerpieces, Mom,” said Stella as she and her mother worked in the flower garden, selecting and cutting flowers for bouquets. “It’s fun to help you with your florist business,” Stella added. “You’re so creative.” Mom smiled. “Thanks, honey,” she said,… Continue Reading…

Bible Reading: Proverbs 2:1-9 For what seemed like the fiftieth time, Mike twirled the dial on his locker and silently prayed it would work. He glanced around nervously, hoping nobody noticed how long he’d been trying to get the locker open. This is a lousy way to start middle school, he thought, his stomach tightening… Continue Reading…

Bible Reading: Genesis 3:1-7; Philippians 1:9-11 “What is a masquerade, anyway?” asked Lindsay, holding up a flier from school. “It’s just a fancy word for a costume party,” replied Mom as she sifted through old clothes and random items from the attic. “I’m hoping we can find some costume ideas in this heap of forgotten… Continue Reading…

Bible Reading: Luke 6:43-45 Abby used a large spoon to carefully lift a peach from the hot water Mom had poured over the fruit. After gently peeling it, she passed it to her mother. Mom cut the peach in half, broke it apart, and removed the pit. “Too bad peaches don’t grow around here all… Continue Reading…

Bible Reading: Ephesians 4:30-32; 5:1-2 “Look! Here comes that girl on her three-wheeler,” said Marcus. “She’s not too bright,” he added with a snicker. “Yeah,” said Nolan. “Let’s pretend we’re going to run into her and see what she does.” So Marcus and Nolan steered their bikes toward the girl. Fear spread across her face… Continue Reading…

Bible Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:9-10, 14-15, 17-21 George stuck close to his father as they quietly walked into the church for Mr. Benson’s funeral. The elderly man had lived two houses down the street from them, and George often helped him with yardwork. In fact, just last Saturday the two of them had cut and… Continue Reading…

Bible Reading: 2 Timothy 3:14-17 I wish we didn’t have family devotions right after breakfast every day, thought Jordyn. She especially wished she could skip them on days when she was late getting downstairs and had to wait till after devotions to eat breakfast—and that happened quite often. One day when she was late, she… Continue Reading…