Bible Reading: Psalm 56:3-11 “Melanie.” Andréas tiptoed to the doorway of the living room where his sister stood. “What are you doing up?” Melanie nodded toward their parents, who were talking urgently in low voices. The two listened as rapid Spanish words tumbled out of Mamá’s mouth. Papá shook his head. “No, Maria.” He took…
Bible Reading: Romans 5:6-11; 8:31-32 When Milo and Tessa came home with their new dog, Mom lined a box with an old, soft blanket to make a bed for him. “Come here, Little Guy,” Milo called gently. “That’s what Tessa and I are naming him—Little Guy.” The dog trotted across the floor and sniffed at…
Bible Reading: Hebrews 13:5-8 Trisha’s stomach clenched nervously, and her eyes filled with tears. “Goodbye, Summerville,” she whispered. “I’ll miss you.” Trisha’s dad had recently gotten a job in another state, and her family was moving. “Alright, kiddos, time to get in the van,” Dad called. “We have a long ride ahead of us.” Trisha’s…
Bible Reading: Psalm 118:5-8, 14 “Uncle Rob and Aunt Jen are here!” Juliana called when the doorbell rang. She went to let them in. “Hey there, Joey. What have you got?” asked Juliana when she saw that little Joey had brought a toy with him. “My new jet. Look!” Joey held it out, laughing, but…
Bible Reading: Ephesians 2:1-9 “I am the king!” four-year-old Bryce said majestically, putting on the glittery cardboard crown he’d just made. He took his mother’s broken wooden spoon for his scepter and climbed into Dad’s big leather chair. “Now you have to do whatever I say, Caden,” he told his foster brother. Caden laughed, then…
Bible Reading: Titus 3:3–7 After playing for a while in the basement, little Penelope came upstairs and walked into the living room with an armful of bundles. “Look!” she cried. “I made presents!” She handed one to each member of her family. Bryce wrinkled his nose. “Something stinks!” He sniffed the present in his hand….
Bible Reading: Philippians 2:12–18 It was moving day. Alaina sat sullenly in the back seat as her mom followed the moving truck Dad was driving. She let out a heavy sigh and started complaining . . . again. “I don’t want to move. I don’t want to leave my friends, and I don’t want to…
Bible Reading: Proverbs 3:5–9 “Can I have apple pie for dessert?” asked Beck. He and his family were having dinner at their favorite restaurant, celebrating their decision to move to Honduras and start a church there. “Sounds good!” said Dad. “I’ll have a piece too.” As the waitress left with their dessert order, Beck had…
Bible Reading: Psalm 18:30–32, 35–36, 46 “Ahchoo!” Cole sneezed into his elbow as he wandered into the kitchen. He sniffed, then scowled. “Why did I have to get sick on the weekend?” he grumbled. “Dad was going to pick me up and take me hiking! Now he says I can’t go with this cold.” “And…
Bible Reading: Psalm 86:1–7; 120:1 “Wow! This beach is crowded today,” Micah said as Mom spread out some towels and Dad planted an umbrella in the sand. “It’s awfully noisy too,” said Mom. “Everybody’s laughing or shouting or making noise of some kind.” Adding happy shouts to all the beach sounds, Micah and his brothers…
