Read: Isaiah 41:10; Matthew 6:26-27; Philippians 4:6-7 “I’m worried I’m not going to pass my math test!” Clara told her dad as they walked barefoot in the grassy yard after dinner. “You’ve been studying and doing math problems for weeks, Clara,” Dad said. “I’m sure you’ll pass.” “But I’m not going to be good enough….
Read: Philippians 4:11-13 Moooooo. “Whoa!” Jordan shouted. He’d been so deep in thought that he almost plowed right into a large brown cow standing in the middle of the path. Uncle Tim appeared in the doorway of the barn. “Oh good, you found Clarice!” “Well, we kind of found each other,” Jordan said. “She wouldn’t…
Read: Matthew 6:19-21 “Look, Malachi!” Nevaeh said as she pulled a small worn book out of an old trunk that had belonged to their great-grandmother. Her voice echoed a little in the big attic where they were cleaning. “This looks like a journal Grandma Baker wrote in. She gave it the title ‘My Trophies.’” “I…
Read: Psalm 139:5-12 Tyler sat up in bed. What’s that noise? he wondered. He and his family had moved to a new house, and now he slept in a strange new room. Somehow he didn’t feel safe the way he had back in his old, familiar home. Tyler heard the noise again. I don’t like…
Read: Zephaniah 3:14-17; Hebrews 13:5-6 Ding dong, chimed the doorbell. “Wyatt!” Mom called. “You have a package!” Wyatt galloped down the stairs. “Who’s it from?” he asked. Mom squinted at the return address on the package. “It looks like it’s from your Uncle Dale in Texas. I think it’s your birthday present,” she said, handing…
Read: John 20:24-31; 2 Corinthians 5:7; James 2:23 “We’re going to have pen pals for an English project this semester!” Moriah told her parents. “We each got the name of a kid our age in another state, and we’re supposed to exchange letters—real letters, no texts or emails or anything like that. My pen pal’s…
Read: Isaiah 40:28-31; Matthew 11:28-30 “Finally, something in science I like learning about!” Marissa loosened the binocular cord around her neck. “I wonder what birds we’ll see on our nature walk?” Mom headed down the boardwalk at their local nature preserve. “Or what birds we’ll hear!” “I’m on it.” Troy pulled up the bird call…
Read: Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 “I hate weeding,” Lynnie huffed, yanking another scraggly weed away from the green beans and throwing it into a pile. Jayson sat on the soft grass, picking blades and throwing them into the air. Lynnie watched the wind blow the grass away. “I don’t want to weed anymore, Mom. I want…
Read: Acts 16:22-26 Gabby’s grandpa was in a lot of pain. His hands were nearly crippled, and he sat in a wheelchair when he was able to get out of bed. Gabby thought she would be miserable if she were in his place, but every time she visited him, he seemed to have a smile…
Read: 1 Kings 17:2-9 Ingrid sat slumped on the couch in the empty living room. Her family was next door eating lunch before packing up the moving van. Aunt Kristin burst in holding a plate of brownies. “Nothing will cheer me up,” Ingrid declared, turning her back to her. “Not even my world-famous brownies?” Aunt…
